Being in the Coffee Shop with Tania Banks
by koolgirl1120
Summary: A short novella that takes place between Sharing Coffee with Captain Rogers and the yet to be written 4th book: Proposing in a Coffee Shop to Sonata. An inside look into the lives of the Avengers over the span of 6 months and the situations they encounter while trying to recover from a truly horrifying experience. Book 3.5 I guess, the others are must reads before attempting this
1. Chapter 1

**A/N. Hii! OMG I'm back! Yay! I've missed you all! xoxo Anyway, just to clear things up right now, THIS IS NOT THE 4TH INSTALLMENT TO THE COFFEE WITH YOU SERIES! THIS IS A SHORT NOVELLA THAT TAKES PLACE BETWEEN 3 AND 4. So it's 3.5 I guess you could say. I've got it all written out and it's only about 25,000 words or so. You have to read this to understand the fourth, so don't think you can just skip this ;) Anyway, it's written similarly to the timeline format at the beginning of SCWCR but with WAAAY more snippets of actual scenes, so I split this up into 6 chapters - one for each month. Here is the month of January. Also, because this is completed, I will TRY to post every day. And then at the very end, I'll give you guys a sneak peak at the actual 4th installment xD! Excited? I am! I hope I didn't forget to say anything, but anyway I hope you enjoy! :D**

**Disclaimer - I don't own the Avengers**

**BEING IN THE COFFEE SHOP WITH TANIA BANKS**

**A novella**

**CHAPTER ONE**

**January 27th –** Steve sat in the solarium of the chalet, the warm sunlight filtering through the windows and illuminating the dust particles around him. He was clothed in sweat pants and a white T-shirt with socked feet and messy hair. Although on a snowy mountain "resort", Tony had had heated floors installed and JARVIS always kept the temperature at the perfect degree. So the Avengers all walked around in summer clothing unless they were going outside.

On this particular day, Steve had elected to polish his shield. He hadn't done so in a while and his weapon of choice could use a good cleaning. Little Rocky followed him inside and plopped down next to his thighs with her head in his lap while he scrubbed at his shield. He scratched the back of her ears gently before returning to his work.

He was about half way through removing the caked blood and dirt and who knows what else when Tania poked her head in the door. She spotted them and smiled, entering completely. "So that's where you went. I was looking for you."

"Well, I was here."

"Yes, Jarvis made that pretty clear. Although his directions were anything but." They chuckled together as she sat down next to him on his other side. Rocky yipped and leaped over his legs and shield to land in Tania's lap. She giggled and began fluffing the dog's fur and cooing to her. Steve watched with a small smile and went back to work, repeating the circular motions.

She observed him for a little while, noticing things she really should have noticed earlier. The way he caressed his weapon was… well, to be honest, it reminded her of when he kissed her. It was the same gentleness that bled through his actions as he softly cleaned the relic that had been with him throughout the majority of the war and more. It was one of the only things he still had from his home and it had been with him during his time in the ice. He had used it in the fight against the Chitauri and at Neil's house of horrors and against HYDRA (again). It meant a lot to him.

"What would you do if you lost your shield?" she asked out of curiousity.

Steve paused. "Mourn. But then Tony would make me a new one which would never be as good as the old one but would still be effective and life would go on."

The corners of her lips turned up. He really had learned to move on from his life experiences. Although the shield was very important to him, he knew that things and people could be taken away in a second. That's what made him live life to the fullest with the people he cared about.

"What about if you lost me?" she wondered.

He froze. It was different from his last pause. She could see the tenseness in his muscles and the horror in his gaze. He didn't move for several seconds and a spark of regret ignited within her. Had she crossed some sort of line?

Steve put down the cloth and set his shield aside before turning to face her completely on the bench on which they sat. He lifted his right hand to touch her cheek and she leaned into his palm, closing her eyes. He slowly pressed their foreheads together. "I can't lose you."

Her heart clenched. She felt the same way. "But what if you do?" Her voice cracked.

He gulped. "I won't."

"Steve…"

He sighed. "I honestly don't know if I could move on. I'd try, because I'd know that that's what you would have wanted me to do. Sometimes… sometimes I still wake up thinking I've slept another seventy years and that I… that I've lost all of you. I'm petrified that I'll miss more time and wake up and you'll all be dead. I can't go through it all again, Tania, I just can't."

She nodded. "I understand. I don't think I could live without you either." She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his lips, chaste and sweet. "I love you," she breathed, meaning every word.

He took her face into his other hand, holding her gaze steadily. "I love you." Their lips met once again, singing in harmony to the dance of their love.

**January 31st –** Tania sneezed and groaned. Her head ached and she couldn't breathe through her nose and her throat was dry and UGH she hated being sick. The day before, Tony had run inside and started throwing snowballs at the others – in the living room. This had led to a very impromptu snowball fight where everyone ran outside in what they had been wearing at the time and had a more serious than it honestly should have been, all-out snowball war.

And now, everyone was paying the price. Well, everyone except Steve and Thor. The super soldier and the demi God were both impervious to human illnesses and were the only two of the entire Company to remain in good health. So it had been left up to them to babysit everyone while they recovered. Pepper, Bruce, and Betty were the most helpful, even whilst sick. Tania would have helped more as well, but she had been hit the hardest. She couldn't even get up. Tony was in a similar state and was by far the whiniest. Graham and Clint were close seconds and Natasha remained totally quiet, for she had lost her voice somehow.

On this day, Steve and Thor had decided that it would be easier to watch over everyone if they were all in the same room. It wasn't like they could get any more contaminated than they already were, right? So there ended up being a huge Avenger puppy pile (with an actual puppy in it – somewhere… there were a LOT of blankets) in the family room.

Tania and Tony were sharing the rather small loveseat, seeing as they were among the most ill. The inventor was currently hogging the blanket they shared and she was extremely cold despite the temperature of the room. Leaning against the sides of their couch were Clint and Natasha, snuggling for warmth. Sleeping on their legs was Bruce, who in turn had Betty on his chest. Graham had fallen asleep next to Natasha with his face pressed against the couch cushion and his mouth wide open – drooling and snoring. Pepper lay across all of their legs, tangled up in the blankets and sleeping bags and one hand laced with Tony's.

Steve stepped carefully over the tangle of bodies to reach his girlfriend as he kneeled on the side and over the arm rest, where her head sat. She was clammy and pale and it was not a good look on her. He gently brushed his palm over her forehead and felt the immense heat radiating from her. Her fever had to be in the hundreds somewhere. She groaned.

"Your hand's cold…" she mumbled, eyes closed.

He chuckled. "No it's not. You're just hot."

"Thank you."

He chuckled again and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I'm going to go take the snowmobile out to the closest pharmacy and buy a whole truckload of stuff for you guys."

"Do you know what to get?" she asked groggily.

"I spent my entire childhood and adult life before the serum riddled with sickness. Times may have changed, but I know my stuff."

"Don't get in an accident on the way there," she breathed, shifting her head slightly under his palm.

"I won't. I'll come back to you and I'll take care of you. I promise."

"What about the rest of us?" Tony grumbled. "We can all hear you, you know."

"What happened to, 'I don't need babysitting'?" Steve asked with amusement.

Tony rolled over, taking the rest of the blanket with him. Tania whined and tugged on it while the genius pulled back. It was a weak tug of war, but eventually he won and she was forced to relinquish it. "Only Pepper is allowed to act like a nurse for me. She's the only one who can pull off the uniform."

"I resent…" Tania yawned, "that statement. If anything, at least Natasha would be able to pull it off."

Tony seemed to think about it for a few seconds. "Yeah, you're right. Red can pull off almost anything. Except Pepper. Only Pepper can pull off Pepper."

"That doesn't even make sense…"

"I'm sick! Leave me alone!" He rolled over again so that he faced the back of the couch. Within seconds, he was out cold.

Steve laughed quietly. "Thor will watch over you guys while I'm gone, make sure nothing happens to you." He kissed her cheek. "I love you."

"Mmm… love you more," she mumbled.

"Enough with the lovey dovey stuff, just leave already," Natasha groaned into Clint's chest. The archer was fast asleep.

"Alright, alright." Steve pushed himself to his feet. "I'll be back within the hour. Don't go anywhere unless it's to the bathroom. You better all be here when I get back."

A chorus of, "Yes, mom" 's echoed from the room (Betty, Bruce, Pepper, and Natasha). With that, Steve grabbed his thick jacket (still didn't like the cold – never would) and was gone.

Pepper was the next to fall asleep. Natasha dozed off after her. Bruce followed. Betty drifted off sometime later. Eventually, only Tania and Thor were awake. The brunette shivered and curled up into a ball, a cold sweat breaking out across her body.

With Tony hogging the blanket, she buried her feet between the billionaire's legs. If he were awake, he would probably say something dirty about trying to spread his legs or get in his pants or whatever, but he wasn't, and for that, she was grateful. With her feet now tucked safely in a place of heat that shifted seemingly to adjust to her position accordingly, she still had to take care of the rest of her body. She knew she would never be able to fall asleep if she didn't warm up. She couldn't adjust the temperature in the room because that would affect everybody in the room, not just her. And there were no more blankets or sleeping bags – they had all been taken up by the pile of Avengers on the floor. Rocky was somewhere in there, probably buried in a sleeping bag next to someone.

That's when Tania spotted the little ball of fur sleeping peacefully on Bruce's legs. It was as far away from Tony as physically possible, which was good because of his allergies. She shivered again and was brought back to reality as her head throbbed.

And then suddenly she felt something light and soft delicately fall over her body. She forced her eyes to flutter open and all she could see was red. She panicked for a moment, immediately associating it with blood, before relaxing when she realized it was a blanket of some sort. She looked up at Thor, ready to ask where he had found it, when she realized that the God (garbed in his most comfortable armour) was lacking a cape. She looked back down. Sure enough, his cape rested on her shoulders and body and it was honest to God smoother than silk and had the warmth of the sun – or at least, that's what it felt like.

"Thank you," she croaked, snuggling deeper into the couch and blanket as Tony's body reacted to her shifting, stretching his legs out more so that her feet could have better access to the warmth between his calves. Apparently, Tony subconsciously felt guilty about hogging the blanket and was trying to make it up to her through his legs. Yeah, sure. Tania was going to go with that.  
Thor nodded, arms crossed over his chest. "You are very welcome, Lady Tania," he boomed.

"Shh!" She whispered, furrowing her eyebrows together as her head pounded. The others shifted and groaned but to her knowledge, no one awoke.

Thor appeared a little sheepish. "My apologies. I shall try to lower my voice," he said quieter, which was normal volume for everyone else. It didn't matter. It was still quieter.

"S'okay." Even though she felt extremely sleepy, Tania knew that dreamland was far away yet. "You know, we don't hang out much."

He nodded in agreement. "Tis true. I sometimes feel as though we hardly know each other. Perhaps now would be as good a time as any to remedy that?"

"Perhaps. Maybe we should tell each other about things like pasts and… I dunno, shit."

"Ladies, first." He bowed only slightly.

She laughed silently, chest shaking but no sound coming out. She told him stories of her childhood and about her and Graham having fun and about learning sign language from Aunt Gemma. Thor listened intently and hardly spoke a word throughout.

When it came to be his turn, he regaled beautiful tales of Asgard, his home world. It sounded fantastical and magical and Tania eventually faded away into her own little world, dreaming of golden castles and princes and princesses and generous queens…

**A/N. Sorry it was so short. The others will be longer. So this takes place almost immediately after Sharing Coffee With Captain Rogers when the Avengers are on vacation at the chalet. It will span over six months where the next story will take place. It's action packed and full of D-R-A-M-A! I can't wait! Can you? ;P Stay tuned for the month of February!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N. Hey :) As promised, here's chapter II! The month... of February. Enjoy! :D**

**WARNING! IMPLIED SUICIDE ATTEMPT!**

**Disclaimer - I don't own the Avengers but I own Tania and Graham.**

**CHAPTER TWO**

**February 1st –** **Bruce and Betty finally go on their honeymoon while the other Avengers return home to Avengers Tower.**

**February 3rd – Tania approaches Fury about the BETA Initiative (see bonus scene of Sharing Coffee with Captain Rogers).**

**February 5th** – Graham walked into the lounge of Avengers Tower after his shower with a towel around his neck. He was humming a Michael Jackson tune and dancing a little dance across the floor as he made his way to the mini fridge on the other side of the room. He bent over to look inside when he heard a whistle and whipped around, unaware that someone had been in the room.  
But there was no one – except the TV screen on which Darcy Lewis was lying on her stomach with her ankles crossed behind her head swinging up and down. She was lying on her bed. If she weren't wearing a turtle neck that covered everything, he would have been immensely turned on.

"Darcy? What are you doing on my TV?" he asked as he slammed the fridge door closed. He pressed a foot flat against it and leaned into it, arms crossed.

She pushed her glasses up her nose delicately, rustling the bright green sheets. "Jane and I were video chatting but she went to the bathroom – left me hanging." She shrugged.

Graham hadn't seen the intern since she came over to help look for Tania and Steve when they were kidnapped by HYDRA just a couple weeks back. The memory made his stomach twist uncomfortably and he turned around sharply. He reopened the fridge and grabbed a can of Pepsi. He closed the refrigerator and walked over to the large white couch, popping open the can before plopping down on the couch. He was very careful not to spill on Pepper's pristine furniture – she would gauge his eyes out if he stained it. He tentatively took a sip, enjoying the bubbles and artificial flavour on his tongue.

"How long has she been gone?" he asked, raising one ankle to rest on the knee of his other leg and leaning back into the cushions so that he could stretch out his left arm on the back of the couch.

"About ten minutes."

"Well the nearest bathroom is on another floor."

"She probably got ambushed by her Science Sis – or Bro. Or both Bros. Or all three. I actually find that extremely probable."  
Graham nodded his head in agreement before taking another sip. "Probably. Want me to ask Jarvis what's taking her so long?"

She waved a hand in dismissal. "Nah. I can wait. I need to study for a test this week."

He groaned and threw his head back. "Uni tests. Ugh. Kill me now."

She chuckled. "I know right? They turn your brain to mush."

"I have an exam next week that has to do with the calculations of buildings and shit."

"Ouch."

"Yeah."

"What are you still doing here?"

For a second, he looked affronted. But then he relaxed when he realized that she meant no offense. He shrugged, sloshing the liquid in his can dangerously. "I came here to watch TV. So I am."

She smiled and he swore something in him stirred – what it was, he had no clue. She turned a page of the textbook in front of her absently. "You know, even though we go to different schools, take different classes, and live in different states, we should totally study together."

He blinked in surprise. He shook it off quickly. "You mean like… a study date?"

She shrugged again. It seemed to be a common thing with her. "Sure. But like… not a real date, because that would never work. Well, actually Thor and Jane work somehow and he's from another realm…" she stared at something above the camera for a few seconds while Graham internally panicked before returning her gaze to the screen. "But yeah, just a regular study date between two Uni students."

He nodded slowly. So… not a date. He could do that. "Sure. But I hope you mean over video chat because I'm not going all the way to New Mexico every time you've got a test."

She snorted. "And I'm not going to New York every time you're afraid you'll flunk an exam."

"Hey!"

"Of course I mean video chatting, dumb ass."

"Cool." Awkward pause. "So like… right now?"

"Are you free?"

"Totally."

"Then saddle up for the ride cowboy. Things are about to get wild."

**February 8th –** He's in a plane. Steve hates planes. He doesn't let it show and no one knows but him but he hates them. He's not afraid of them. There's a difference. Right now, he's in a quinjet. He's piloting – he knows how to do it now. Clint taught him to prevent the whole "getting turned into a Capsicle" thing happening all over again.. But the controls are jammed. He's going down.

At first, Tania and his whole team are right beside him. She's in the co-pilot's chair, which is ridiculous because she doesn't know how to fly one of these things. Even though he can't see them, he knows the rest of the Avengers are in the back. They're going down. It's eerily silent. It's like watching a silent movie – a horror movie. There is absolutely no sound as the jet begins to dive bomb.

He panics. His heart is hammering so hard. He can't breathe. He can't see out the front window – but he's not looking there. He's staring at Tania's terrified face. He's seen that expression on her delicate features more than he'd like to admit. It's familiar. And that's why guilt gnaws at his gut when he sees her scream silently – like when she drowned.

Drowned. All of a sudden he's jerked forward and his forehead hits the window, shattering it. There's water everywhere and it's so unbelievably cold. It feels like ice – it's happening again. IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN! His mind goes into overdrive and he's flailing but he's wearing a seatbelt and _Oh my God the others_! He's even more desperate now, not just for air, but for the lives of his teammates, his friends, his family.

He's not alone this time.

He doesn't remember flying over water or ice or anywhere specific, but he knows that the cold seeping through his Captain America suit (why is he wearing that?) and the compass with Peggy's picture is on the dashboard in front of him, right beside the pocket watch with the coffee mug and music note engraving. In a second, they're both washed away by the current and the level is rising. He struggles with his seatbelt but his fingers and toes are numb – everything is getting colder and colder. So numb.

He coughs and gasps and splutters as he tilts his head back, keeping his mouth above the water. And then all of a sudden he can hear again and the screams and cries of the Avengers and rushing water reach his ears. The lights go out in the plane and he can no longer see. Water engulfs his body and he knows that Tania and the others are dying. It's happening again.

He can't handle it happening again. But it's happening. He knows what's coming because he's lived it once before and it nearly broke him beyond repair. His legs are unable to move and is he breathing? He doesn't think so. He must be holding his breath. He feels the ripples in the water and he somehow knows it's Tania.

An image of her drowning in the water from the pit at HYDRA slams his back into the chair with such force that he swore the Hulk had something to do with it. The Hulk can save them. Bruce can get them out of this. But he doesn't hear a roar except that of the ocean's – at least he assumes it's an ocean.

He feels the bubbles of Tania's last breath tickle his right arm and he opens his mouth to scream her name. He can barely hear his own muffled voice and water invades his lungs and he can't breathe. He's choking. He's dying. He doesn't remember this the first time. He blacked out the first time and all he remembered was cold – but this is different. He's actually drowning. His lungs shrivel up and die and Tania's head falls onto his shoulder and then everything is so blindingly white that he tries closing his eyes but he can't.

And then it's all clear and he realizes he's in a hospital. A Tania look-a-like comes in to try and keep him calm and there's an iPod dock on the bedside table playing the news of the invention of the Wii. That's how he knows it's happened again.

The girl introduces herself as… Sharon? Or maybe it was Shelly. Shelby? He doesn't know. All he knows is that the words out of her mouth are silent and don't make sense but he knows what she's going to say anyway. Tania is dead. Tony, Thor, Clint, Natasha, Bruce, Pepper, Betty, Graham, EVERYONE IS DEAD. He's lost them all. He was the only one to survive that crash. It's been another seventy years.

Everyone is dead.

The Tania look-a-like is staring at him with sympathy and pity that he doesn't want. Everyone is dead. He jumps out the window.

* * *

He gasped and shot up, shivering as the ice devoured the blood in his veins. He couldn't feel anything. He raised his hands in front of his face, shaking and quivering. It was dark in the room but he could see them. He could swear they were blue. He swung his legs over the edge to stand, to feel his legs, but he couldn't and his knees buckled. He tumbled to the floor in a heap and his face tapped the carpet.

Was he hyperventilating? He hadn't noticed. Now he did though. "J-Jarvis…" he coughed.

The lights flicked on before he finished the name. It was blinding and he would have shielded his eyes if he wasn't face first on the floor. He hadn't had a nightmare this bad in weeks.

He heard a moan and the rustling of sheets as Tania no doubt awoke. His heart was pounding so loudly in his ears that he couldn't make out the words she spoke, but he could hear her voice. It called to him like a siren but he was so damn far away.

And then she was there, kneeling next to him and rolling him over worriedly. His vision was blurry and everything was numb and cold but the contrast of her heated skin against his frozen body was breathtaking. Her hand on his face cleared his eyes and he could see the horror on her face akin to when she had drowned; but much more toned down.

Oh God, she was ALIVE. He reached up a quaking arm and grasped the back of her head for reassurance. His breathing was still ragged and she was mouthing words that he couldn't hear over the roar of the ice cold water. She and the others were alive. He was still in twenty-thirteen. He hadn't left or killed the Avengers. Nothing had changed. Absolutely nothing.

But he was still drowning. She pressed her palm against his heart, immediately slowing it somewhat. Her other hand began to do that thing she did with his head. Her fingers massaged his scalp and ran through his hair and his muscles relaxed infinitesimally.

She lay down on top of him, ripping the sheet from the bed and placing it on top of them both. Her body was scalding hot against his and he worshipped it. His freezing skin practically gave off steam under her touch. It sizzled but he welcomed it. He needed heat and warmth to ward away the cold. She seemed to know exactly what to do to calm him down.

He wiggled his fingers and toes and it had never felt so good to be able to do so. She trailed kisses along his throat and each place burned in the shape of her lips and he could feel himself become grounded. She was amazing.

As if on cue, JARVIS dimmed the lights until there was a low yellow hue to the room. When Steve could feel his whole body again, he wrapped his arms around Tania and buried his face in her hair. She pressed her hands against his chest which reminded him that he wasn't wearing a shirt – no wonder he had been cold.

That's when he felt the wetness on his pectorals and for a second he tensed and panicked. But then she sobbed and he realized she was crying. He sat up, pulling her with him as the blanket fell to their waists. He shuffled until his back hit the side of the bed and he had Tania in his lap. He cradled her to his chest and closed his eyes, breathing her in. It had just been a nightmare. It wasn't real. If it were, he probably wouldn't have jumped out a window.

Probably.

He was still coming to grips with it. These nightmares had become less and less frequent since he awoke in the twenty-first century, but they still happened. They never stopped. The only took breaks. Tonight had been particularly bad.

He looked down at his girlfriend and knew that he'd scared her. He kissed the top of her head in apology. She clutched at his shoulders and cried silently. He simply held her, promising to protect her no matter what. She had told him that she still felt safe in his arms. She always would. No matter what happened. It was a parallel to her faith and trust in him as a whole. That was only one of the many, many, MANY reasons that he loved her.

It was also one of the many reasons he hated to see her cry. She too, had been plagued with nightmares – especially since being kidnapped by HYDRA. They'd both been tortured, her more physically but still emotionally. She was forever scarred. He'd noticed that she was more… mellow. She was calmer. She didn't smile as much, but when she did it was genuine. The scar was still too new, too raw. But they would get through it because they had each other.

That's how they'd survived the first time.

**February 10th** – Tania sipped her coffee without taking her eyes away from her laptop. She sat in her office in her clay coloured business suit that consisted of a pencil skirt, white blouse, and a blazer. Her hair was in a messy bun and she had dark circles under her eyes. She hadn't slept properly since that first night back from captivity. She was seriously considering taking sleeping pills.

Steve helped ward the nightmares away fifty percent of the time, but the other fifty percent were torture. She had gotten over her fear of falling and heights only to gain a new, more paralyzing fear: drowning. Going splat against the pavement was an immediate death – drowning was not. 'Nough said.

The sound of her door zipping up pulled her away from the email she had been reading from the head of MA at Arrow Incorporated (the asshole). She was somewhat glad for the distraction despite knowing that she would have to return to it soon.

Standing in her doorway, leaning against the frame, was Tony. At the chalet, the Avengers had spent all of their time together, but back at the Tower, Tania and Steve (specifically Tania) had been distancing herself from the others. Self-defense classes with Natasha had been postponed. She did all her work from her office instead of downstairs with Drew and Peter and them. She ate meals with them at the table but she rarely spoke. Rocky was a constant at her side and she was grateful to have the little pup but she was also a distraction when she was trying to work, so Steve had decided to bring her down to the gym for a "run" (yes, on the treadmill – but the idea had been so cute that she'd agreed anyway).

She felt a little guilty about it though. The others didn't deserve her cold shoulder. She wasn't rude per say, but…

Her thoughts were interrupted when Tony stood up properly, hands stuffed in his jeans pockets, and strode inside with the trademark Stark swagger. "Hey there Piggy Bank," he greeted. "You and me are going out."

Without missing a beat, Tania wheeled back to her desk. "I'm flattered Tony, but I'm in a perfectly heal… happy relationship."

He barked out a laugh. "Yeah. Real happy. But although your offer is tempting, I'm a one woman kind of guy."

She snorted.

"Don't make fun," he ordered, pointing a teasingly accusing finger at her. "Anyway, I'm serious. We're going out."

"No we're not. I have work to do. The merge still has super long lasting effects and this guy-"

"I'm giving you the day off. Come on. Up you go." He tugged at her elbow but she ripped her arm away from him stubbornly.

"It's like you don't know any of the effects giving day offs at random can have on a company. I'm the head of the Marketing and Advertisement department. I have a LOT of work to do."

"Hey, I'm co-CEO again. I'm your boss. Whatever I say goes."

"Yeah well, too bad. I have to deal with this pompous asshole!" she gestured violently towards the computer screen and Tony placed a hand on the back of her chair and the other near her mouse pad. He leaned over her shoulder and read the string of emails back and forth between her and the other head of MA. A few seconds later, he stood up straight again.

"Consider him fired. You're head of both departments now. Problem solved. Let's go."

"UGH." She banged her head against the desk in frustration. "Do you know how much work you just gave me? I'm going to have to start pulling all-nighters and working overtime and weekends and-"

"Okay fine. I'll find a replacement. Have… uh… what's her face do it."

"Drew?"

"Yeah."

"… that's not a bad idea."

"Good. Problem solved. Let's go."

"What? But- no! I have to arrange this and-"

"Nope. You're coming." He grabbed her arm more firmly this time and practically dragged her out of the office. She only just managed to slip on her shoes before they were out the door and waltzing down the hallway.

She sighed in exasperation. "Where are we going that's so important to you?"

Tony grinned triumphantly. "We're going car shopping."

Her jaw dropped. "Shopping? For a car? … for me?"

"Of course for you. I told you we'd go."

"When was that?"

They entered the elevator. JARVIS seemed to know where they were going because Tony didn't even need to press a button. "When you were hyped on drugs the day after your birthday."

Oh yeah… "Oh."

"Yeah."

"So… I'm getting a car for my birthday?" she confirmed, getting a little more excited. He nodded and a smile graced her features. Tony returned it half-heartedly. He didn't do displays of affection. He bought people stuff and he saved their lives and he teased them mercilessly. That was how he "displayed" affection.

The doors opened with a ding and they walked into the lobby. The receptionist didn't give them a second glance and workers walked by, attentions all on some form of communications technology. The glass doors were in view and suddenly Tania found herself nervous. The last time she'd exited those doors with one other Avenger, she and Clint had gone through a tremendous run for their lives. But now she and Clint were closer than ever. Maybe… just maybe… it had been worth it. Maybe… just maybe… she could have that with Tony too.

She gripped his arm out of instinct when the doors opened for them automatically. He shot her a confused and mildly surprised look but he didn't comment thankfully. He simply readjusted their position so that they were arm in arm and walked her down the street.

The streets of New York were bustling with activity. Snow covered the ground and Tania shivered, huddling closer to Stark. She opened her mouth, creating a cloud of white, to suggest they go back inside and at the very least get some jackets, but then she spotted Happy standing outside the slick, black Mercedes Benz and she closed it.

They exchanged awkward greetings and got in, both in the back. It was blessedly warm inside compared to the winter weather outside. They sat in silence for the entire car ride, listening to the quiet hum of the vehicle and the honking of car horns outside the bullet proof and tinted glass windows.

It didn't take long for Tania to realize that the dealership they were headed for was a little farther out than at the very heart of the city, like the Tower. She sent a quick to text to Steve and JARVIS to let them and anyone else know where she was so that they wouldn't worry before putting her phone away.

When they arrived half an hour later, Happy opened the door for her and she exited, followed by Tony. Because Pepper had her own suit now, it was decided that she no longer needed a bodyguard. So Happy was technically demoted back to chauffeur although Tony and Pepper had mutually decided that he would keep the same pay as if he were head of her security detail. He was fine with that.

She and Tony exited the vehicle. She had been anxious to go out in public without disguises but it seemed that with Tony's signature sunglasses on, no one recognized him – okay not true. No one dared approach them for probably other reasons.

They pushed open the door to the dealership and walked inside. An hour and fifteen or so minutes later, Tania was driving a cute little yellow fiat with a retractable roof. Happy had been dismissed so that Tania and Tony could take the newly bought car home.

Tania hardly ever felt guilty for letting Tony spoil her anymore. It was just something he did that she'd come to understand as natural for him. She wasn't complaining. So the wide grin on her face was without guilt as she drove on the traffic-filled roads of NYC beneath the falling snow.  
Tony was happy that she was happy. He hadn't seen her smile like that in what felt like forever. He knew it wasn't because of the car itself – she wasn't into material things as much as some people were (Pepper). It was probably because she knew that he'd gone out of his way to try and bring a real smile to her face. He knew a way to make it bigger. He reached forward and retracted the roof.

Cold, icy wind slapped their faces and Tania squealed, squinting through the breeze. They were on the highway. She shivered and struggled to maintain control of the vehicle. "Tony!" she shouted condescendingly. Damn. She must have gotten that from Pepper. Or Natasha. Or both.

He laughed wildly and threw his hands in the air as if on a rollercoaster. "Come on, T! Live a little!" He tilted his head back and tried to catch snowflakes with his tongue while the wind tussled his hair.

She laughed nervously. "We're gonna die if you don't close that roof!"

"Not if you relax," he countered.

"This is crazy!"

"This is fun!"

"This is dangerous!"

"This is fun!"

"This is-"

"FUN. Now shut your trap and drive faster!"

She laughed all the way home.

**February 14th** **– Stania decide to do nothing but stay in bed all day. No presents. Nothing special. Just him and her. All day.**

**February 21st –** "Miss Banks, there is a package for you on the counter in the lounge," JARVIS announced. Tania looked up from playing with Rocky and Steve, who was trying to teach the dog commands in German (she was a German Shepard after all).

"Who from?" she asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"There is no return address, but sources point to SHIELD."

Tania hummed and pushed herself to her feet. "I'll be right back," she told her boyfriend as she exited the room.

"Alright. Be prompt."

She rolled her eyes. "Love you too."

When she entered the lounge, she found Tony and Bruce arguing over whether or not to open her package. She raised an eyebrow. Neither of them had noticed her entrance. She walked right up to them and grabbed the box that was about the size of her Stark issued laptop. Only then did they notice her presence.

"Tania!" they chorused.

She chuckled at them. "I believe it is my mail, therefore I should decide who, when, and where it will be opened." Tony pouted and Bruce looked relieved.

"At least let us see what's inside," the inventor pleaded.

She rolled her eyes but removed it from its position tucked under her arm to place it back on the counter. Tony grinned and Bruce shook his head in amusement but sat down on the bar stool, curious as well.

She began tearing at the brown wrapping paper until she had a flimsy cardboard box with the SHIELD insignia on the top. A sly grin pulled the corners of her lips upward. Of course the others knew about BETA. She'd run it by them before approaching Fury about it. But they didn't know about this – at least, not the details. Not even Steve.

She removed the lid to see a SHIELD uniform, pressed and cleaned to perfection. Tony and Bruce gaped. She grabbed the cat suit by the shoulders and lifted it up high to examine it. It was remarkably similar to Natasha's, seeing as they had the same clearance level. However, there were a few differences because Natasha would carry gun holsters and a utility belt and Widow Bites/Stings and wear fingerless gloves. Tania had a different idea.

It was black and thick, made of stretchy and comfortable material. She rubbed the fabric between her index finger and her thumb, admiring the smoothness of it. The insignia was patched onto the shoulder, like all SHIELD uniforms with a zipper down the front.

Tony whistled. "Damn. I haven't even seen you in it and I already know how sexy you'll look."

She reached over the counter and slapped his arm lightly, a blush spreading on her cheeks. "I'm only wearing it for missions."

Tony clapped once and spread his arms wide. "Let's go on a mission!"

Tania laughed lightly. "I don't think so. But I may have to try it on… make sure it fits."

"Great."

"In my room."

"Even better."

"Without you."

"Aw, come on!"

"Settle down, Tony," Bruce cautioned. "This is bordering on sexual harassment."

Tony sighed. "Fine. Go try it on for no one to see."

"Actually," Tania said as she packed the uniform back in the box, "I think I'll model it for Steve. See what he thinks."

Tony made a noise akin to whining. "You're going to break him."

She chuckled. "He's not totally innocent. You of all people know we've had sex before."

Bruce winced. Tony didn't. "You're still going to break him. I'll bet you haven't done anything kinky yet."

Her cheeks coloured and she quickly excused herself before rushing out of the room toward the elevator. The Science Bros exchanged a shocked glance. "Do you think-?"

"Nah. Cap's not like that. He's more of a, 'sex is for consummating love' type of guy, not a, 'sex is fun, let's fuck,' type of guy."

Bruce just stared.

* * *

Upstairs, Tania exited the bathroom in her complete uniform, a little self-conscious. The suit was skin tight (which she'd anticipated) but black was supposed to be slimming anyway. It fit her like a glove perfectly (when had she given SHIELD her dress size…?) and she paired it with her black, lace-up, leather combat boots with miniature heels. Around her waist was the red, white, and blue scarf that Pepper had gotten her to match the same colour schemed headband on her head. Her long brown hair was in a ponytail (she needed a haircut soon) and she wore the black leather gloves (with fingers, unlike Natasha's) on her hands.

She stepped into the bedroom, one long leg at a time. Steve looked up from rubbing Rocky's belly and froze. His eyes trailed up her calves and thighs to her torso and finally, her beautiful face. He gulped as heat pooled low in his stomach and Rocky rolled over to walk away.

"Well? What do you think?" she asked, pivoting on the spot for him nervously. He could see the flush in her face and knew she was embarrassed about revealing so much without actually revealing anything skin-wise. He slowly pushed himself to his feet, never taking his eyes off her.

"I think… that's the sexiest thing I've ever seen."

The blush deepened on her cheeks and he could feel his own face bloom with heat but he wasn't going to stop now. He stepped closer to her and took her hand in his, staring down into her eyes. "Really?"

He nodded enthusiastically. "Except for one thing."

She visibly deflated – just a little bit. "What?"

He leaned forward and whispered in her ear.

Her eyes widened. "Why Captain, I don't believe I've ever seen this side of you."

"That's the beauty of living with me," he said hoarsely as his left hand fingers trailed up her spine, leaving tingles behind as she shivered. His right hand drifted to the zipper, the tips of his fingers brushing against the skin of her chest. He slowly pulled it down without looking away from her in depth eyes. "You learn something new every day."

When the zipper was all the way down, she shrugged her arms out of the suit and kicked it down her legs and to the side, leaving her in her underwear. He rubbed his hands down her arms and began kissing her neck feverishly, gripping her wrists tightly.

"Mm…" she hummed contentedly, closing her eyes, "and what did you learn about me?"

"That you are the sexiest person alive."

She giggled. "You didn't already know that?"

A laugh escaped his throat and his hands lowered to her waist and pulled her closer to him. "I did. But I got to see exactly how amazingly gorgeous you are in a whole new light."

Their lips met in a passionate kiss as his shirt was hastily removed and then his pants. They fell onto the bed. The rest, as they say, is history.

**February 28th – Bruce and Betty return and it's also Jane's birthday: Video chat with Jane and Darcy from Avengers Tower lounge.**

**A/N. Sorry about the tense changes in Steve's dream and out, it's kind of weird to have it in present tense during the dream and then past when he wakes up but... I think it works. Stay tuned for the month of March aaaaaaand... PHIL'S RETURN! :OOO**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N. Hi again :) Heeeeeeere's March! And PHIL! And this is going to be canon with Agents of SHIELD (or as much as physically possible) so this might contain spoilers for the first episode but not much because this takes place long before Phil actually assembles his new team. I think I might have to edit out Thor 2 though... unless you wanna imagine it happened before he moved into the Tower like two weeks after the Avengers... don't know if that'll work. We'll see I guess ;) Enjoy! :D**

**Disclaimer - I no own Avengers.**

**CHAPTER THREE**

**March 1st **– Phil Coulson adjusted his tie nervously. This was it. The other Avengers didn't know he was alive (he and Fury had made Tania SWEAR not to tell anyone) and here he was, in the elevator of Avengers Tower, getting ready to face them. Director Fury had insisted that he wait a good month after the Avengers returned home from the HYDRA fiasco to tell them. It gave them time to get back into the swing of things.

So here he was, a month later, hacking into JARVIS so that he could sneak in unannounced – and probably scare them all to death. He prayed they were all in the same place so that he wouldn't have to do this twice.

The elevator doors opened all too soon and he took a deep breath, composing himself into that blank slate he was known for. He walked into the lounge and sure enough, there everyone sat, watching a football game. The guys were all watching intently (minus Bruce, who was reading a book) while the girls were all huddled in one corner of the couch, chatting (gossiping) to each other. Natasha was there too, but she didn't seem as interested as the others.

He coughed. Nothing. He coughed again, louder this time. Tania looked up and smiled at him, waving nonchalantly. "Hey Phil."

Everyone's heads snapped up and he just barely restrained a wince. The boy he assumed was Graham seemed confused – so did the Dr. Banners, both of whom had yet to meet him.

For ten dreadful seconds, no one moved. Tania kept her mouth zipped shut smartly and crossed her legs awkwardly. Phil cleared his throat. "Good morning Agent Banks."

And then there was a cacophony of noise and yells and shouts and he was suddenly being ambushed by everyone – everyone but Clint, who remained seated on the couch with the Banks and the Banners. His horrifyingly betrayed expression really did make Phil wince this time.

Pepper eventually managed to calm the Avengers down long enough for him to get a word in. "I was dead." Utter silence. He straightened his tie (again) and continued. "I was. No one lied to you. They just didn't tell you that I came back."

Many people sat down, unable to handle the news. Steve, Natasha, and Thor remained on their feet. Pepper was crying, he realized. That wasn't supposed to happen.

"I'm sorry," he apologized sincerely, "I wanted to tell you all, but not all of you ranked Level Seven clearance and the Director knew that if one of you found out, by the end of the day you would all know. But since the members of the BETA Initiative were given the appropriate clearance and the former doctor Ross as well, we've decided that it was time. But anyone has to have Level Eight clearance just to _know_ that _you_ know I'm alive. Seven to know that _I'm_ alive.

"Anyway, I died and came back several times. Stopped breathing for eight seconds. The injury was caused by a weapon from out of this world. The doctors didn't know how to handle it. They put me in a medically induced coma to prolong my life while they brainstormed a cure for the… thing, spreading throughout my body.

"While asleep, my body slowly began to heal itself with the help of Dr. Selvig, who'd had experience with project PEGASUS. I woke up five months ago, in September. It took another month to recover, then I was immediately sent on vacation in Tahiti.

"But anyway, I'm fine now. I'm ready to get back to work – but not after I apologize to all of you for keeping this from you. You've all been through so much in the past couple months that we (Director Fury and I) didn't want to put more stress on you – at least not so soon. I'm sorry."

More silence followed his explanation and he pulled at his tie uncomfortably. He knew that was his tic. Natasha knew that was his tic. Clint knew that was his tic. But at this point, it didn't really matter. Pepper spoke up first, ever the mature adult.

She sniffled and stood up on shaky legs. Tony followed immediately; shadowing her as if afraid she would fall. She pretended not to notice and surged forward, enveloping the Agent in a hug. He'd seen it coming. He was a spy. But he'd been no less caught off guard when she'd actually executed it. He hadn't been hugged by a woman in so long. He tentatively patted her back awkwardly. SHIELD Agents didn't do physical touch. But he bit his tongue and let her cry into his perfectly tailored suit.

She pulled back a few seconds later and wiped her tears with the back of her sleeve. "It's so good to have you back, Phil."

He smiled at her, closed mouthed. "Thank you, Pepper. It's good to be back." He nodded in her direction and she retreated back to the couch, a small smile on her face while Tania rubbed her back soothingly.

Tony rocked back and forth on his heels awkwardly. He bristled. "You're an idiot." He turned and joined Pepper on the couch.

Phil smiled just a little. That was so Tony. He hadn't realized that he had actually missed the Stark until now.

Thor approached next and wrapped him up in a bear hug, crying out in joy and demanding celebration. Captain America was much less cheerful. Phil still got a little… nervous, around his idol. His childhood hero appeared sheepish and shuffled his feet back and forth with an ashamed look on his face. He hung his head. "Agent Coulson, I… I'm sorry."

Phil reached forward and gripped the man's shoulder- _OH MY GOD I'm gripping Captain America's shoulder!_- and gave it a gentle squeeze. "There's nothing to be sorry for."

The Captain nodded and patted the man's hand before returning to his seat next to Tania, one arm around her shoulders naturally. Phil was positively beaming on the inside and it took everything he had in him not to grin like a maniac and bounce on his toes excitedly.

Natasha walked up to him, face neutral. She reached up as if to slap him. He didn't flinch. He'd kind of expected this. She lowered her hand. Okay, now he was confused. She shook her head sadly, curls bouncing back and forth. "You're definitely you…" she mumbled before lowering herself onto the Stark white couch.

Clint was next. He stood up and walked right out the door and into the elevator without so much as a second glance. Phil had to admit that that had hurt – a lot more than he'd like to admit. He knew Clint would be mad, but he didn't expect the silent treatment. He really should have, though. He'd known the archer for over five years now. They had a sort of, Uncle raises estranged nephew relationship. They were close. But Natasha was closer.

She stood up. "I've got him." She followed his path to the elevator and caught the next one. It took a little while longer to reach her partner than she would have liked, but she couldn't really blame JARVIS – he had been hacked, after all.

She walked onto their floor and opened the door to their room. Clint sat in their bed, curled up into a ball with his head on his knees and his arms hugging his legs to his chest. He glared at the comforter as if he could drill a hole into it. She sighed. She knew immediately what state he was in.

She stalked forward and sat down next to him, every movement lithe and graceful. She was Natasha Romanoff. No one should expect anything less. She stared at his face, searching for his stormy grey eyes that she loved so much. "Clint."

He flicked his gaze over to her for a split second before returning to the bed. She sighed. He was going to be difficult. Fine. She could be difficult too. He should know better.

"It wasn't his choice."

"All this time I…" his voice cracked. "I thought he was dead. I thought it was because of me."

"Clint-"

"But he's been alive. A coma, but alive. Fury knows how close we are, knows that I- we have Level Seven clearance; why would he even consider not telling me?!" He shot up from the bed and began pacing. Natasha knew the signs. She knew what was next. She stood up too and watched him vent, listening intently. "I… I went to his fucking funeral!" He lashed out, smashing the glass vase with flowers to the floor. Neither of them reacted. "He brought me out of my misery the first time and then he puts me right back in only to tell me that putting me back in was all a lie!" He ripped the shelf from the wall and flung it across the room, giving a wide berth around Natasha. Her hair whipped into her face from the movement. This was the next stage. Violence. But she knew he'd never hurt her – not after Loki.

She stepped forward. "Clint."

"And then!" Okay, so he wasn't done. She'd let him rant; get it all out of his system, and then pounce. "Everyone is just, totally fine with it! Fury used him to try and get us to work together!"

"And it worked." So patience with her partner wasn't her strong point. Sue her. "He did it so that we could save the world – and we did. Phil wanted us to be heroes, and we are. We've got obscene amounts of red in our ledgers but we're international heroes according to the people."

"But that doesn't mean a damn thing because Phil's… he's…"

Natasha stepped over the broken glass and pressed her palm to his cheek softly. "_He's back_," she whispered in Russian. "_That's all that matters."_

_"Is it?"_

She nodded her head._ "He sacrificed himself. It is not your fault. He's alive when we all thought he was dead. We can see him again. We can talk to him again. He can be in our lives again. He lied to us, yes, but he did it to protect us."_

Clint was breathing heavily, gripping her wrist with deadly force. She didn't mind. If it helped him calm himself, she'd let him do whatever it took. "He… He's alive," he muttered quietly. She could see the tears he was holding back in the shine of his eyes.

"Clint… Hawk… he is alive."

"Widow…"

"He's alive, Clint. We should be celebrating, not mourning."

He sucked in a breath – and nodded. He released it, relaxing his muscles. "You're right. As usual."

"Of course I am." She pecked him on the lips.

He grinned. "Of course you are."

"Come on. I think someone deserves a hello."

She led him back to the lounge, where Phil was conversing with the others. Immediately, the handler stood up and met his former agent halfway in a hearty hug. The others watched with warm smiles on their faces before the agents all sat down and joined the conversation.

"So as I was saying," Phil continued as if nothing had happened, "I've been… well, my position has changed. I'm no longer your handler." He looked to Clint and Natasha with a hint of sadness in his eye. "I'm going to be assembling a little team of my own. SHIELD agents. We're going to take care of the minor villains and supers out there, maybe refer some of them to Xavier's school for gifted youngsters. I'll still be in New York, but you probably won't be seeing a lot of me."

Everyone nodded in acknowledgement. "Will you be on the helicarrier often?" Tania asked, tilting her head a little to the side.

Phil shook his head. "No. I've got a new mobile command center of my own. I'll be living there until further notice. Unfortunately, I won't be able to keep too close contact with you all. Maybe the occasional phone call."

"We understand," Pepper nodded. "Keep us posted as much as you can afford."

"Of course, Pepper."

"Thank you, Phil."

"Haven't we been over this?" Tony interrupted. "I said his first name is Agent."

**March 3rd – Tony's birthday: The Avengers all spend the day in Tony's lab to see what it's like. Some of them go stir crazy, some of them don't.**

**March 9th – Tania decides to teach Steve how to drive.**

**March 12th –** Tania hummed happily as she unloaded the dishwasher. At the Tower, everyone took turns to do the dishes at the end of each day. Obviously, today was her day.

She was in a particularly joyful mood and was bouncing all around to the tune in her head. Soon, the humming turned to actual words. It started out quiet and soft, but then she realized that no one was here and she began to belt it out at loudly as she could.

_Tania: I spent twenty years trying to get out of this place_  
_I was looking for something I couldn't replace_  
_I was running away from the only thing I've ever known_  
_Like a blind dog without a bone_  
_I was a gypsy lost in the twilight zone_  
_I hijacked a rainbow and crashed into a pot of gold_

The elevator doors opened, the ding muted by the running of the tap as Tania sung. Clint and Pepper emerged, stopped their conversation abruptly. Tania continued singing the duet by herself. Until Clint grinned widely and jumped in, startling her. But they sang together anyway.

_Tania/Clint: I been there, done that, and I ain't lookin' back on the seeds I've sown,_  
_Saving dimes, spending too much time on the telephone_  
_Clint: Who says you can't go home_

Tania splashed bubbles at him for scaring her and he blew them right back, all the while they were singing at the top of their lungs. JARVIS began playing the background music accordingly on low volume, not that either of them noticed. Pepper watched, impressed.

_Clint: Who says you can't go home?_  
_There's only one place they call me one of their own_  
_Just a hometown boy, born a rolling stone, who says you can't go home_  
_Who says you can't go back, been all around the world and as a matter of fact,_  
_There's only one place left I want to go, who says you can't go home_  
_Tania: It's alright, it's alright, it's alright, it's alright, it's alright._

Pepper had been living with these two for months, and yet she had never known that they both had such beautiful voices. Well, she'd known Tania could sing. But Clint. Damn. His vocals blew her away from the very first note. She slipped her cell phone out of her pocket and began to record them dancing together, biting her lip nervously.

_Tania/Clint: I went as far as I could; I tried to find a new face_  
_There isn't one of these lines that I would erase_  
_I lived a million miles of memories on that road_  
_With every step I take I know that I'm not alone_  
_You take the home from the boy, but not the boy from his home_  
_These are my streets, the only life I've ever known,_  
_Clint: Who says you can't go home?_

Tony's phone buzzed on the lab table. Seeing as he was currently waiting for JARVIS to give him results, he decided checking it would be a good idea. He rolled his office chair toward the counter and picked it up. Pepper was streaming him a video. Curious, he opened it. His eyebrows rose when he saw Tania and Clint dancing and singing – and boy could they sing.

_Tania/Clint: Who says you can't go home?_  
_There's only one place they call me one of their own_  
_Just a hometown boy, born a rolling stone, who says you can't go home_  
_Who says you can't go back, been all around the world and as a matter of fact,_  
_There's only one place left I want to go, who says you can't go home_  
_Tania: It's alright, it's alright, it's alright, it's alright, it's alright._

Steve and Thor were in the gym when the Captain's phone vibrated in his pocket. He stopped punching the poor bag of sand and pulled it out. With the two of them working on it for a couple seconds, they finally figured out how to open Tony's video. Both of them raised their eyebrows behind their hairlines.

_Tania/Clint: I been there, done that, and I ain't looking that_  
_It's been a long, long road_  
_Feels like I never left, that's how the story goes_

_Clint: It doesn't matter where you are, it doesn't matter where you go_  
_Tania: If it's a million miles away or just a mile up the road_  
_Clint: Take it in,_  
_Tania: take it with you when you go_  
_Clint/Tania: Who says you can't go home?_

Graham smiled at his cell as he bit into his burrito. His immediate instinct was to send the video to Darcy – so he did.

_Clint/Tania: Who says you can't go home?_  
_There's only one place they call me one of their own_  
_Just a hometown boy, born a rolling stone, who says you can't go home_  
_Who says you can't go back, been all around the world and as a matter of fact,_  
_There's only one place left I want to go, who says you can't go home_  
_Tania: It's alright, it's alright, it's alright, it's alright, it's alright._

In New Mexico, Miss Lewis observed the duet with an evil grin on her face. She plugged her phone into the laptop on her desk and began typing hysterically.

_Tania: It's alright, it's alright, it's alright, it's alright, it's alright_  
_Clint: Who says you can't go home?_  
_Tania: It's alright, it's alright, it's alright, it's alright, it's alright_  
_Tania/Clint: Who says you can't go home?_

Clint twirled her under his arm amidst the bubbles and she laughed into his chest as they stumbled backward. Pepper ended the video and quickly stuffed it back into her pocket before they could see.

**March 13th – Tania and Clint find out that the video Pepper recorded (and had indirectly sent to Darcy) had been posted on YouTube titled, "Avengers Jammin' out to Bon Jovi!" It made the morning news.**

**March 16th –** Hot water pelted her back in the shower stall. She leaned her side against the wall, her forehead pressed against the backsplash while she took in slow, painful, breaths.

Steve, Natasha, and Clint had been sent on a mission. It was the first really serious one since the HYDRA attack. That was hours ago. The worry had been starting to gnaw at her and she'd decided to take a shower to calm herself.

Showers had been hard to get used to after dying in the water. After getting rid of her fear of heights and falling, she'd completely developed a new fear of drowning. She wasn't scared of water. In fact, she drank it, she brushed her teeth with it, she had showers (with only minor fractions of paranoia), and she could sink her feet into foot pools at spas. But she couldn't handle beaches, pools, baths, sprinklers, water guns, water falls, or any water anywhere near her face – ever.

So when she slipped and fell in the shower stall, landing in a heap on the floor, she screamed as the water from the shower head began assaulting her face. Jets of it squirted into her mouth and nose and she lashed out. The curtain came crashing down and the rod landed on the bathroom floor beside her. She scrambled to get away as she struggled to breathe. Flashbacks danced in and out of her mind of losing air, inhaling water into her lungs, losing control of her limbs, closing her eyes, dying slowly and painfully…

She gasped and shot forward, launching herself onto the floor. She rolled over and crawled backward until she hit the opposite wall, hyperventilating. She couldn't see her bathroom anymore, couldn't feel the curtain tangled all around her. All she could sense was the giant fish tank of death she had died in.

She didn't hear JARVIS ask if she was alright. She didn't notice when JARVIS flashed the lights and blared music to get her attention. She didn't clue in when the shower turned itself off. She was oblivious to the length of time between that point and when Tony came pounding on the door.

"Tania? Tania open up!" His voice was muffled through the water in her ears. She was underwater. She couldn't breathe, let alone answer him. She tried to call for help but her lungs were filled to the brim and it stung and burned like acid. "Tania?!"

"T…on…y…" she croaked quietly, trying to reach out to him but feeling nothing – seeing nothing but Steve's horrified, tear streaked face as he watched her sink to the bottom.

"Damn it!" There was a whirring and footsteps and suddenly there were hands wrapped around her forearms, shaking her. But she was still submerged. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Pull me out. Please…

Her head snapped forward and she gasped. Her eyes shot open and she panted, trying to observe her surroundings. A hand on the back of her neck was the first thing she noticed. It wasn't Steve's. But it was familiar. Her gaze focused. Tony.

His face was creased in worry as he held the back of her head with one hand and had the other braced against the small of her back, only the thin curtain between them. And then she was crying because she wasn't dying and she was okay and Steve was okay and there was no water in her lungs and she lunged forward, throwing her arms around Tony. He floundered for a moment before tentatively hugging her back.  
She was soaking wet and she was drenching his clothes but at this point, he didn't really care. He didn't care that she was naked except for that somewhat see-through shower curtain (he didn't see any of her bits and pieces – thank GOD, Steve would kill him! Never mind Steve, Pepper would kill him!).

JARVIS had called him in his lab. He'd said that Tania was having what appeared to be a panic attack and had diagnosed it as an effect of PTSD. The AI had concluded that not only was Tony the most experienced in the disorder, he was also the closest Avenger to her location. Bruce had been down in the kitchen with Thor, Graham was at school, and Pepper was way down below in her office.

The inventor had all but flown to the elevator and onto the Stania floor (as it had been dubbed). And now here he was, with a sobbing, naked girlfriend of his best friend in his arms. But she was also one of his best friends. You couldn't over look that fact.

They sat there in those uncomfortable positions for what felt like hours, but were probably only about five minutes. She pulled away with a sniffle, not letting go of him. "I'm sorry," she whispered, not meeting his eye.

"Hey, no, it's okay," he assured with more gentleness than he thought even he possessed. He tried to remove her hands from his back but the second he tried, she clutched fistfuls of his shirt and panicked, her breathing rate speeding up again. "Woah! Okay, relax. I'm not leaving."

She took a deep breath and nodded. Slowly, her fingers uncurled from his rock band T-shirt one by one and she leaned back into the wall, closing her eyes. "I… I…"

"Shh…" He rubbed her arms soothingly before coming to sit beside her, one arm around her bare shoulders. "You know, this is the exact position we were in at Neil's crazy fun house of death? But you were wearing more clothes. And we were chewing gum. And sleeping. I would also put my head on yours like back then, except it's still covered in icky girl shampoo and I don't want it giving me cooties."

She barked out a laugh and covered her face with her hands. She said something muffled between her fingers.

"What was that? I don't speak hand talk."

She removed her hands and sighed. "I'm sorry."

"I told you. It's fine. I don't mind. But don't scare me like that again, you hear me? I'll personally kick your ass if you do."

She rolled her eyes. "Sure you would, Tony."

He grinned cheekily. She was returning to her normal self. "No really. I don't mind. Especially with this view. Cap's one lucky guy."

She blushed furiously and squeaked, scrambling to get away from him. She crawled over to the shelf of towels and ripped one off, wrapping it around herself quickly. Her entire body flushed a deep red and he quickly averted his eyes. That was more of a turn on than he'd expected.

"Um… you should probably…" he pointed at her hair and she reached up to touch it. She brought her fingers down in front of her face and eyed the white lather. She stared at the shower as if it would eat her whole. He sighed. She wasn't going to get back in there. Not today, at least. He pushed on his knees and stood up, reaching out a hand for her to take when he was done. "Come on."

She looked at him oddly before taking the offered hand. He pulled her to her feet and she kept a tight grip on the towel as the curtain fell around her feet. She blushed again and he quickly sat her in a chair he'd seen off in the corner. He'd have to ask why that was there later. Especially if it was something kinky.

He placed her in front of the sink and leaned her head back just in front of the faucet. He rolled up his sleeves. "Alright Miss Piggy, let's get to work."

Before he could so much as turn the knob, Tania grabbed his wrist. "You don't have to do this." He could tell by the way she looked at him that she felt guilty for pulling him from whatever he'd been doing and that he'd had to see her like this.

He shrugged. "Suck it up princess, because I'm doing it anyway."

Wordlessly, she sank back into the sink with a slightly raised pulse. She closed her eyes as water sprayed into her scalp softly. She trusted Tony. He would never let her drown. He himself had been afraid of water for a very long time (still was, to an extent). After the water boarding in Afghanistan, taking a shower had caused him a panic attack as well. He refused to go swimming to this day – but he could if he wanted to. After almost drowning during the attack on his Malibu mansion and being buried under a house and choked to death, he'd forgotten about his fear of water at the time and just swam to save his life. He'd already almost died multiple times, this one was no different. He was fine.

She wasn't. This wasn't her first rodeo, but she wasn't a super hero. She had adapted to living with them, but she hadn't adapted to living like them. In just a few weeks, she'd gone from average business woman to an honorary Avenger just because she'd had the balls to call up Captain America on the favour he'd offered. He'd never told her this (and probably never would) but he'd admired her from the start. Not only had she taken the initiative to come to Stark Industries via Captain freaking America to try and apply for a job, but she'd never been afraid of the Hulk – in fact, she'd befriended him as if it were nothing. Not only that, but she'd told him off when he'd upset her while barely batting an eye and had handled her broken wrist in prison like a trooper. He could do this one thing for her. He could help her in one of her few times of weakness. She, of all people, deserved it the most.

So he lathered her hair and massaged her scalp with his hands without complaint (though he could complain later – not that he'd ever tell anyone if Tania didn't want him to [but if she did, Pepper would be listening to him whine in bed tonight, and not the good kind]). Once he rinsed her head and she was good to go, he found her fast asleep on the sink. Considering that didn't look at all comfortable, he sighed, deciding he had to move her. He'd totally gone soft.

He picked her up bridal style and carried her over to the bedroom, where he deposited her on the bed gently. The dark bags under her eyes were still noticeable, but she covered them up during the day and acted like everything was fine. It probably was fine, but not when she was alone. Poor kid. He kissed the top of her head and quickly fled the room.

"Jarvis, delete that video footage."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

Steve came home later that day, exhausted. Still in his Captain America uniform (hadn't worn that in a while…) and filthy from hea to toe, he trudged into their bedroom, dragging his left leg behind him. It had been shot. A couple times. His shield was only so big. But the bullets had already popped out and the bleeding had stopped so he should be fine by tomorrow.

In all honesty, he'd kind of expected Tania to meet him at the door when he came in with kisses and hugs like the last time he'd gone on a dangerous mission. But she wasn't there. Tony had been surprisingly tight lipped on the subject while the others simply said that they hadn't seen her since a little after he'd left.

He entered the room with tired muscles and barely open eyes, but then he spotted his girlfriend and a small smile graced his lips, followed by furrowed eyebrows. She lay on the bed face up, above the covers, in a towel, sleeping soundly. What confused him was the puddle around her body and the dampness of her hair.

"Jarvis, what happened?"

"I am not at liberty to say, Captain."

Steve sighed. It was too late for this. "Is she hurt or scared or upset or anything I should know about?"

"Negative, sir. It can wait until morning."

"Good." He plopped onto the bed face first, bouncing the entire mattress. He groaned, throwing one arm over Tania's waist before drifting off to sleep and drooling on the pillow.

**March 18th – They go to a baseball game.**

**March 25th – Bruce's birthday: The Avengers go see an orchestra perform.**

**March 29th - Pepper sings Turning Tables by Adele and Clint plays the accompaniment on piano while the Avengers watch. They end up discussing who plays musical instruments and who doesn't.**

**A/N. Have you guys heard Jeremy Renner sing? DAMN. Go listen on YouTube where he's singing America Pie in Love Comes To The Executioner. It's really good. And Gwenyth Paltrow really does sing Turning Tables on Glee, so you can look that up as well.**

**P.S. Do you guys think Mila Kunis could play Tania? I think she could, depending on how the makeup artist works on her but otherwise I think she'd be perfect (as long as you discount her age xP). Anyway, stay tuned for April! Prank war? I think so.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N. Hi guys! :D I ****see you liked Phil ;) I hope you like April too. There is a little bit of Stania in this, but mostly it's other stuff. Read on to find out!**

**Disclaimer - I don't own the Avengers**

**CHAPTER FOUR**  
**April 1st – Prank war! Continued.**

**April 3rd – Thor leaves for Asgard**

**April 8th –** Steve tapped his pencil against the desk nervously, tapping his foot in sync. A few seconds later, the utensil broke into two pieces and clattered to the floor. He sighed and picked up another pencil from the can full of them in the corner of his exceedingly small desk. He shifted uncomfortably and looked around the room at the teenagers in similar states.

He randomly peeked over his desk and saw the ever growing pile of broken piles on the tile floor. He barely restrained a groan and stared at the scantron in front of him. Tests were not like this in the nineteen twenties.

An epiphany hit him in the face and he gasped, scribbling the final circle with his lead pencil and scrambling out of the very, VERY small desk. He almost knocked it over and scraped it against the floor several times, startling the other teens.

"Sorry!" he whispered before bolting out of there, praying he would never have to return. He handed the paper to the elderly woman behind the desk and sat down in the awfully uncomfortable waiting chair.

Ten, agonizing, minutes later, "Steven G. Rogers" was called to the counter. He raced forward and accepted his test back. He flipped it over with shaking hands. Eighty percent. He passed.

A wide grin split his face and he fist-pumped. The lady smiled knowingly at him over tortoiseshell glasses and watched in amusement as the twenty-three year old man ran out of the building.

* * *

Steve entered the lounge, the smile still plastered on his face and the test gripped tightly in his hands. He didn't want to interrupt any of them, so although he was dying to say something, he merely sat down at the counter on one of the bar stools and accepted the glass of water from Pepper, who winked at him. She knew. He blushed a little and smiled, bringing the glass to his lips after a nod of thanks.

Tony and Bruce were discussing something animatedly on the white sectional while Clint was bouncing his head back and forth between them from his position on the floor, looking like he was watching a ping pong tournament. On the bar stool next to him, reading on a tablet, was Natasha. Graham stood by the floor to ceiling windows, basked in a yellow glow, and talking on his phone – probably to Darcy. Pepper stood behind the counter, assembling ingredients for lunch from a variety of different places. Tania, Jane, Thor, and Betty were not on the floor.

At that very moment, the elevator doors opened and Tania and Jane entered. The taller brunette stopped speaking mid-sentence (something to do with hiding in Thor's closet…?) and spotted her boyfriend. She grinned widely and scuttled over to him.

"How'd it go?" she asked excitedly. Lately, she had become a bit more… animated and a bit less depressed. It was a small change but everyone was starting to notice. She was slowly (agonizingly slowly) moving past the HYDRA incident. Steve always found it contagious when she smiled and he often returned it with the same magnitude for reasons he couldn't explain.

"See for yourself." He handed her the papers and she grabbed it, skimming the test for the mark. She spotted the red eight percent in the corner and squealed, hugging him tightly. He laughed and settled his arms around her. It seemed that their excitement levels matched.

"That's so great! I'm so proud of you!" She pecked him on the lips, one hand on his cheek before dropping her heavy looking red purse on the counter. She pulled up the third and final bar stool on his right side, scraping its legs against the floor as the others began to notice the commotion.

"What for?" Clint asked, pushing himself to his feet and walking closer to the action.

"Steve passed his driver's test," Pepper explained knowingly while grabbing two plates from off the island in each hand and transferring them to the counter by the fridge.

Tony gaped. "What? When did you start learning how to drive?"

"A little while ago. Tania's been teaching me."

"He's a very fast learner," she added in while pushing herself around the chair from right to left, spinning halfway before changing directions.

"Well I'll be damned."

"Way to go, Cap," Bruce congratulated from his spot on the couch and an encouraging smile.

"Yeah, congrats." Clint slapped Steve on the back and placed an elbow on Natasha's shoulder, crossing his legs.

She appeared vaguely annoyed. "Way to go Steve," she said without looking at him. She reached for Clint's wrist. "You can go on a lot more trips-", she kicked her foot out, knocking the archer's legs out from under him and sending him sprawling to the floor, "-now."

Tony and a select few others snickered. "Before you ask, El Capitano, I am not buying you a car when you have a perfectly good motorbike- wait a second. When did you have the time to get a motorcycle license?" He was probably referring to when Steve drove off on his motorcycle after the Chitauri attack.

Steve shifted his eyes back and forth and sipped the water from his glass nonchalantly. Clint and Natasha, who both knew the answer, also turned away from Tony.

"Don't leave me hanging! Come on, tell me. Guys? Hello? GUYS?"

**April 10th – Graham and Darcy start dating.**

**April 13th** – Tania ducked as Natasha's leg whizzed past her head. She struck out with her own leg, only to have the assassin leap over her body and land into a front roll with a light thud on the mat. Tania placed all her weight onto her hands and kicked off the ground, bringing herself into a handstand before continuing the motion and stepping onto the ground to right herself.

The two women stared at each other with absolute focus in their eyes. Tania was panting like crazy and sweating buckets whereas Natasha looked fresh as an ocean breeze. There was barely a second before Nat took two steps forward and jumped, twisting her legs around Tania's neck despite the brunette's attempts to block the attack with her forearms. The red head continued her momentum and arched her back, swinging her legs forward and slamming Tania face first into the ground, letting go just before the impact and landing on her feet gracefully.

She turned around and placed her hands on her hips, looking down at Tania with narrowed eyes. "That's what happens when you stop training for three months."

The head of Marketing and Advertisement coughed violently before splitting up blood. Natasha's eyes widened before she kneeled down beside her friend and began patting her back. Another hacking cough and Tania wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She turned and sat on her bum, practically hyperventilating. "What… can I say?" she asked as Tasha left and returned with a water bottle in one second flat. "You… were right." She unscrewed the cap and took a huge sip, barely managed not to spit it all out when she was hit with another cough.

"Jesus, Tania, I'm… I didn't mean to do this."

She barked out a laugh and took another swig. "Don't worry about it." She wiped at her forehead with her arm. "It was my fault. I should have continued training."

"We can't dwell on it now. I'll go easier on you next time."

"No." She shook her head and chugged the water back, finishing it in a final gulp. "Ahh. Don't ease up. It'll just give me something to work towards – being able to hold my own for longer than two minutes when you're already going easy on me."

"You've come a long way since I first started training you. I've gone less and less easy on you. I'd say you're about… intermediate."

She nodded, slowly catching her breath. "Interesting."

"I'll have to get you to start sparring with Clint. He's more careful and precise than I am. Plus, the majority of your opponents will be men. You can get used to fighting against them instead of just me. We'll try that tomorrow."

"O-okay. Yeah. We'll do that."

"I… uh…" Natasha looked at the ground, seemingly unable to say the words she wanted to.

Tania shook her head and grasped her friend's shoulder with a reassuring squeeze. "I know. Hey, I have something for you." She reached into her back pocket and removed a USB. "I probably should have given this to you before in case it broke during the match but… here." She held it out. "It's a playlist. I think you should listen to it. If you don't want to, then that's fine. They're just songs." She shrugged.

Natasha eyed her strangely but tentatively accepted the stick anyway. "Thank you."

Twenty-five minutes later, the Black Widow plugged a USB stick into her laptop.

**April 16th** – Stirring the coffee pointlessly, Tania stared into its black depths, brown orbs following the plastic spoon in circles. It was incredibly awkward. The silence between her and Steve was unusual, uncommon, and unwanted. They sat across from one another in their coffee shop, the one they'd first truly interacted within. They had immediately directed themselves toward the table at which they always sat out of habit, despite not having visited the building since January, before they had been taken.

Soft country music played in the background alongside the quiet musings of other customers and the dings of the door opening and closing. But there was no talking between one of New York City's most famous power couple.

Because of their frequent visits, the owner had deemed them "especially valued customers" and always made sure that any one person who dared bother the two of them was to be dealt with responsibly. Thanks to him, Tania and Steve never had to come in disguises and could always be themselves without being smothered by fans, paparazzi, or stalkers.

Over the past several months, the coffee shop had been changed here and there. It was weird to get used to, having whole new chairs to sit in and mold your bodies to, having bigger paintings on the wall to replace the smaller ones, and having newer faces behind the cash and serving the food. It was all a little disorienting, but what could you do? Adapt. That was what you could do. Despite all the change in the coffee shop, they would still continue to go there. The coffee, hospitality, and layout were all the same. The very core of the place could never be changed, and that was why the two of them kept coming back.

She watched as Steve, dressed in beige pants, a white T-shirt, and a blue and white plaid collared shirt, drummed his fingers along the round tabletop. He looked around at all the new adjustments that had been made, probably wracking his brain for something to say.

Nervously, she set down her coffee and began twisting the ring around her finger – around and around. Things hadn't been this awkward in a little while. Ever since their captivity, Steve and Tania had rarely left the other's side except for… well… exceptions.

Now that they were here, a place they hadn't visited in what felt like forever, they had nothing left to say. There was nothing new to discuss. They'd been together for as long as physically possible. They knew all that would have happened in the other's life. Recently, it had started to become a problem.

They were starting to get on each other's nerves a lot faster and conversations were becoming rather awkward. This was the worst by far.  
Suddenly (mercifully), Steve broke the silence. "Where did you get your ring?" he asked, pointing with his index finger toward the jewellery she kept playing with.

She froze. Surprisingly enough, this was one topic that had not come up. She "nonchalantly" brought the coffee mug to her lips and took another tentative sip. She swallowed and cradled her drink with both hands, once again looking to the bottom. "It-it was my dad's," she confessed. "When he and my mom left, they took most of their belongings with them. This was his wedding ring. I doubt he still wanted it after splitting up with Felicity, so he left it behind. I was six at the time. I took it for my own with a small hope that he'd come back for it."

"But he never did," he filled in.

She nodded sadly. "I got older, and when I reached teenage years, I realized that he was never coming back. But I kept it. At first, I decided to hide it in a jewellery box in my room at Aunt Gemma's house. But then I had to pack for University and choose what to take with me and what to leave behind. I came across it and… well, I decided to take it with me. After all, it was just a ring.

"For a long time, I never wore it. But then one night, I thought, 'why not?' and slipped it on. It became like an extension of my hand. It just… fit there. After my second boyfriend, Darren, and I broke up, I started wearing it on my ring finger to deter guys from asking me out. It worked for the most part.

"Then I met you and switched fingers but I… I hardly ever take it off. It's a part of me. I don't know why I wear it really, it's just… it's the only thing I have left of my parents. Despite everything, they're still my mom and dad. We had a few good times, not many but a few. I think this ring reminds me of those times."

Steve nodded, listening intently. "Interesting." He brought his cup of coffee to his lips, thinking deeply.

Tania relaxed a little. Just because they didn't know what to say, didn't mean that they had to say anything at all. They could have silence and not have it be awkward. So that's what they did: sat in content silence.

**April 20th – Bucky's birthday: Steve visits his grave again, Tania in tow. The two of them spend the day sketching nineteen forties people Steve met.**

**April 26th – Clintasha mission in Barcelona that is rated Level 8 Clearance.**

**A/N. Stay tuned for the month of Mayyyyy! ;D**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N. Hello! Welcome to chapter 5. One more to go D: and then it's back to waiting... But hey, let's enjoy this while we can, huh? ;D **

**P.S. If any of you double as betas or know a good beta, could you please put us in contact? I'm looking for one but so far none of the ones I've messaged have answered me. Please and thank you!**

**Disclaimer - I don't own Disney's Marvel's the Avengers (I'm totally calling it that now).**

**CHAPTER FIVE**  
**May 2nd – Tania gets a new Latin song for Hulk.**

**May 3rd – Thor returns from Asgard**

**May 5th – Mother's Day:** Steve, Tony, Clint, Natasha, Bruce, Thor, Tania, Pepper, Graham, and Betty trickled into the cemetery of Brooklyn. Rogers and Stark mourned their parents and their loved ones. Steve and Tania talked to Bucky again and he introduced the other Avengers to his mom and dad.

Clint and Natasha flew them in the quinjet to the graveyard that held Bruce's mom, where he mourned her. Betty's mom was in the same cemetery.

The Avengers then headed to Russia (against Natasha's protests) but didn't land; instead flying over it while cloaked because flying wherever they wanted without permission was technically illegal. But not everyone in the jet knew that, otherwise they (Steve) would protest. They gave the red head a moment to mourn, and although she spent a good thirty seconds in the bathroom to do so, she denied it completely.

The quinjet was then piloted over India, where Tania and Graham looked out the window onto the prison which held their mother. They didn't dare enter the prison, filled with too much hatred after what she'd done. Perhaps next year, they'd be able to at least stand the sight of her.

Clint flew them to a place he refused to disclose and told them all to stay in the jet – even Natasha. He exited and was out of sight for exactly thirty minutes before returning to the plane, solemn, but otherwise seemingly okay.

Thor and Pepper's moms were still alive and on good terms with their children. It was kind of sad that only two of ten people (twenty percent) had "good" mothers. So they flew the quinjet to Pepper's home and had dinner with the Potts family, where the red headed CEO could tell her folks in person that she was getting married.

Mr. and Mrs. Potts had been shocked but extremely happy for their daughter and demanded that they celebrate.

It was almost midnight by the time the Avengers returned home. They ate pizza and went to bed, refusing to speak of the vulnerability shown that day, ever again.

**May 7th –** Natasha Romanoff dropped low into a crouch before springing back up; bringing her knee with her as she smashed it into his nose. She brought the leg down, crossed in front of her left and pivoted, whipping her head as her left leg raised to kick the man's chest. He huffed out a choked breath and stumbled backward, falling over the edge of the roof.

She heard the whistling of air and ducked, narrowly avoiding a fist aimed at her head. She grabbed the wrist and flipped the opponent over her back after his companion. Without looking, she dropped into a crouch again and swung her leg behind her, tripping two men who had been about to attack her. The wind tussled her hair as she stepped forward into a cartwheel, grabbing each hand of the men she'd knocked down before continuing the motion and crossing her arms. With a mighty heave, she crashed their heads together before tossing them (with some effort) over the edge.

Panting a little from exertion, she wiped the blood from her chin that had dripped from her split lip. A foot slammed into her back unexpectedly and she flipped over the railing, tumbling through the air. She didn't have time to think before she landed in a giant wagon of watermelons. She grunted in pain and groaned as the wagon tipped over and spilled onto the ground with the fruits.

She looked up; squinting through the sun at the attacker who'd managed to successfully sneak up on her. The black figure turned and walked away. Like Hell.

She pushed herself up onto her feet, ignoring the way her ankle and back stung in different places and how her body felt like it had more watermelon shaped craters than the moon and ran forward. She dashed around the corner with the aid of a pole she grabbed to swing herself around and followed the man as he jumped over rooftops. She could really use a firearm or a projectile of some sort right now. Hell, any one of her teammates would have been helpful right now.

She kept one eye on him and the other on the path before her. She leaped over fences effortlessly and dodged around the people in the marketplace, hardly slowing down. But she was tired, and he was faster. She turned into an alley and grabbed a rusty pipe that ran vertically up the wall toward the roof. She scaled it, clawing with her dirty fingernails and gripping it with slippery shoes. She was the Black Widow and she'd be damned if she would let this stop her from completing her mission. She shimmied up the pipe and clambered onto the roof. She'd wasted precious time getting up there, but she needed a good shot.

She whirled around and spotted the figure, rooftop hopping not too far away. She raised her right arm; hand clenched into a fist, and steadied her aim with her left. She pointed her arm at the retreating silhouette and took a deep breath. When she exhaled, the Widow Bites around her wrist released one by one like machine gun bullets. They shot off with little "twips" here and there. When her bracelet was gone, she lowered her arms and watched as the lead henchman spasmed and clutched at his neck. He twisted backward around the calves before tipping over backward, dropping to the ground.

Natasha pressed a finger to her ear to activate the comm. "It's done," she said. "Get the clean-up crew here."

"Roger that."

Satisfied, she allowed her knees to buckle and she landed harshly on her bum, breathing hard. She rested her forehead on her kneecaps and just sat there. It felt like a long time before she heard the distinct whipping sounds of helicopter blades and she looked up.

A rope ladder extended towards her and she grabbed it wordlessly. It lifted her high into the air and away from Cairo, Egypt. Her mission was completed.

* * *

Black Widow limped into the kitchen of Avengers Tower, carrying her black boots in one hand. She dragged her foot behind her, glad that it was the dead of night so that no one saw her weakness. If they were here, she would be playing the, "I'm fine" card, no matter how much they protested.

She all but slammed her shoes onto the counter and steadied herself with it shakily. More death. More innocence taken. More anonymous hits and targets. At least none of the passersby had been hurt as far as she knew. That would make things ten times worse.

It was always like this after a mission, even one as straight forward as this one. It would hit her like a freight train the amount of blood in her ledger. Loki had been right. She could never wipe away that much red. It would simply smudge. And she couldn't wipe away red with more red, good or bad.

Suddenly, the lights flipped on to full brightness and she whipped around, aiming the Widow Bites on her left wrist at the intruders behind her. Her heart pounded in her ears but she ignored it, focusing on all sounds with the concentration of a master assassin. She held her breath – only to release it in a sigh when she saw that it was just the others.

She lowered her arms and slowed the beating of her heart. That was when she noticed Clint at the very front, holding a three tier birthday cake. She noticed that everyone had dark circles under their eyes and she became immediately aware that it was past two o'clock in the morning. They were all dressed in their sleep wear and they were all smiling.

Clint's grin was the biggest. He'd told them. The bastard.

She slowly limped forward. She watched as everyone's eyes zapped toward her twisted ankle. Bruce made a move to approach it but she held up a hand. JARVIS began dimming the lights and the Avengers shared looks between each other that she couldn't decipher (not all at once, anyway).

They began to sing tentatively. For She's A Jolly Good Fellow began to ring in her ears and for the first few seconds, all she could do was stare in belief. That song could not be farther from the truth – but that was what made it ironic. That was also what made it funny.

A smile crept up on her face and sneaked up on her, displaying teeth and everything for full view. That was twice today something had sneaked up on her. Damn it. She was going soft. But after the horrible day she'd had, she couldn't bring herself to care. That solo mission had taken nearly twenty-four hours just to become debriefed, travel time, tracking, surveillance, execution, clean up, and write an essay (so it wasn't really an essay, but it might as well have been one) and then more travel time to get back home.

She began laughing – and she couldn't stop. She couldn't remember the last time she had laughed this long or this hard. Her friends began to sing louder, more off-key, more out of pitch. She was laughing so hard that her stomach hurt (and not just from the uppercut one of those idiot henchmen had managed to get in) and tears poured from her eyes, squeezed tightly shut. She slumped forward and felt the arms of Thor catch her before she fell. She knew before she'd even made the conscious decision to fall that she would never hit the ground. They would never let her.

She let his large arms guide her to a kitchen chair and sank down into it. She wiped uselessly at her face and stared at the Avengers circling the table. Clint lowered the cake in front of her and shot her a wink. Even though it wasn't technically her birthday anymore, even though it was past two in the morning, even though she'd had the shittiest day in a long time, she grinned and blew out the candles.

**May 11th** – **The Avengers all go to a fifties diner to introduce Steve to one of the decades that he missed.**

**May 9th – Graham heads to New Mexico to visit Darcy for about a week.**

**May 17th – Graham returns home with Jane in tow. She moves into the Tower officially.**

**May 21st** – The Avengers all sat in foldable chairs backstage. The original six members of the team were all in varying states of nervousness and formal dress. An anonymous announcer droned on behind the red curtain while they waited for their cue.

Tony bounced his leg up and down incessantly, tapping the ground with the hard heel of his shoe to an uneven rhythm. He slouched in his chair with one arm on the rest and his head on his fist. A pair of large, black sunglasses covered both of his eyes so that you couldn't see his expression.

Beside him, Bruce fiddled with the cuffs of his sleeves anxiously. He didn't like large crowds – well, it wasn't that he didn't like them so much. It was more that the sheer amount of people made the Hulk shift inside of him, uncomfortable with so many pairs of eyes staring at him. Like Tony, Bruce was also in a suit, but unlike the mechanic's, his was grey, not black.

To his left, Steve sat with his legs open and his elbows on his knees, head in his hands. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair over and over again, unable to block the flashbacks from last year from his vision whenever he closed his eyes, even for a second. His own suit was a light beige and the jacket was closed, more formal than the two men beside him.

Across from the three of them were Thor, Natasha, and Clint. The demi God wore his armour and carried Mjolnir in one hand, twirling it every so often.

On his right, Natasha sat with crossed legs and hands in her lap, looking no more nervous than if she were at work. But everyone knew that both she and her partner did not do audiences. She wore an elegant black dress paired with gold hoops and strappy sandals.

One arm outstretched on the back of her chair, Clint sat back with one ankle resting on the other leg's knee. He flipped his tie around and around, bored. Although the others most likely couldn't see it, Natasha could feel the tenseness of his muscles from the arm that grazed her back.

They were all nervous, probably all for different reasons. They knew that Pepper, Betty, Tania, Jane, Graham, and Happy were all in the crowd, sitting front and center. But everyone wished that they would join them on stage.

The announcer's voice suddenly rang crystal clear for all of them. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, I give you, Earth's Mightiest Heroes, the Avengers!"

The six adults stood up at once and filed into a line. Tony was first, walking up the steps and cracking his neck just before emerged from the curtain to be met with roaring applause. Bruce followed, probably waving shyly. Next came Steve, who was met with more screaming and squealing than actual clapping. As Thor shoved the curtain's out of his way, Clint leaned over toward Natasha. "It feels like the circus all over again," he muttered.

Her lips twitched as she followed Thor. Clint took a deep breath, psyched himself up, and parted the velvet. The first thing he became immediately aware of was the bright lights of the cameras flashing in their faces. He plastered on a fake grin that he knew from experience to be as close to real as you could possibly get. He raised a hand in acknowledgement of the crowd and his ears wiggled as the roar of the people heightened.

There were enough people in Times Square to cover every millimeter of the streets for miles. He hadn't expected this many people – but he should have. In his black tux, he felt like Coulson as he fixed his tie and stood next to Natasha, taking everything into account. You never know when there might be another attack.

The announcer's voice was much louder out here than it was back there. "Let's hear it for the team that saved us all!"

More cheering blasted their eardrums and Clint (and the others) was suddenly glad that his comms unit had a "silence" function. Tony had installed it for this specific reason. It basically lowered the volume of any sound waves within a metre of the comm so that the Avengers wouldn't go deaf.

The archer spotted the honourary members of the team sitting in the front row, clapping harder than anyone else. He nodded subtly at them before returning his gaze to the rest of the crowd.

"And now," the MC continued, "Captain Rogers would like to say a few words."

More cheering, more clapping, more squealing. Steve shyly stepped up to the podium that rose from the floor of the stage. He cleared his throat nervously and shuffled the cue cards in his hands. He licked his lips and leaned toward the microphone. Silence penetrated the area.  
"As you know, I am Steve Rogers, also known as Captain America-", several squeals interrupted this statement, but the Avengers pretended not to notice. "and I am… the leader… of the Avengers. It's been one year since that day – since the attack that took so many lives. It's only been three hundred and sixty-five days. It hasn't been that long. But we've managed to rebuild most of what has been destroyed. We've started the process of healing and once that's commenced, it's hard to stop.

"We will all overcome this, because we are all human. Despite what Loki said, humans were not made to be ruled – we choose to have a… leader, because we like to look up to someone. It is a conscious choice. I, and the others of my team," he gestured to the other five, standing off to the side, "are honoured to be those who you've chosen to look up to.

"Since the Chitauri attack, the Avengers have fought other battles. We've conquered many villains in the past year, doing all the good that we can. Although we are not your leaders, we are people who you all tend to call heroes. But even we cannot do this alone. I would like to point out that all of you have fought back. Maybe not physically, but by running and hiding, you've refused to be conquered. You would not let someone dictate you; force you to do something you didn't want to do. So I thank you, all of you, for not letting him overpower you.

"And a special thank you to the friendly neighborhood spider-man, who fought somewhere in the streets where we couldn't see him. We salute you." Steve actually saluted at that. Someone in the crowd shouted, "Right back atcha Captain!" and could barely be heard from so far away. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips as the crowd all craned their necks to see who said it – but the Avengers all knew that no one would find the speaker.

Steve coughed and tapped the microphone a couple times to recapture the audience's attention. "So even though my team and I are being glorified as your heroes, I want you all to know that everything you did helped save the world, so in the end, we are all… heroes. Thank you." He stepped down, looking as if he'd just been released from death row moments from being hanged.

Tony walked up to him and patted his shoulder, steering him back to the line of Avengers. Thor walked up next, no microphone needed. He stood ramrod straight, shoulders back, head held high, center stage.

"People of Earth," he boomed, "I am here to formally apologize for my brother's actions. I know how much pain and suffering he has caused you all, and I am telling you now that he will never be forgiven. But I also want you to know that despite his just punishment back on Asgard, he never used to be this way.

"I grew up alongside him. We played together; we shared the same love of our parents. But Loki never saw it that way. He said that all he remembered was living in the shadow of… of my greatness. Many horrific events unravelled at home, and before my very eyes, my brother had become deranged. He is different now, than the child I knew when I was younger. I still love him – he is still my brother. But he is not the same.

"I come here to warn you not to let what happened to Loki happen to your loved ones. Cherish those that you have, because they are all you might ever get. I also come here to reassure you that there is no chance of escape for him. He is forever held in a prison on Asgard, no magic within the premises. He will never leave," his voice softened and lowered to that of a whisper. "You have nothing to fear from my realm. As of the treaty I signed yonder year, Asgard and Midgard are at peace."

The crowd cheered and the Avengers clapped, all with blank faces. Nearly two hours they stood in those same positions, listening to several speakers tell their stories of the attack. Some had lost family members, friends, lovers, others had lost body parts, special belongings, or obscene amounts of money. At the very end, Tony did something unexpected (which, in and of itself, should have been expected) and walked up to the podium, stealing the spotlight from the last speaker mid-sentence.

"Alright, I'm going to stop you right there." The victim looked scandalized. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm sick and tired of listening to all this sad, death-y crap." Steve made a motion to stand up and stop him when a hand on his arm stopped him. He looked back at Bruce who shook his head wordlessly. A brief second passed and the blonde sat back down again warily. "So, I'm going to do a magic trick. I'm going to make all your frowns," he pointed at the crowd, "turn upside down. Pepper? Tania?"

The two women stepped onto the stage in their gorgeous white and red dresses, both dazzling. But what caught everyone's attention was the giant check for fifty thousand dollars they were carrying.

The victim that had been speaking covered her mouth and stumbled back, where Tony caught her arm and tugged her toward the cheque, yanking the microphone from the stand harshly and bringing it to his mouth. "All for you."

The woman was crying her eyes out and sobbing into Tony's chest, mumbling "thank you" over and over and over again. He patted her back awkwardly.

"Ahem, in fact, everyone who was on this stage today is getting a cheque just like this – for fifty thousand dollars." The applause was deafening. It took several minutes before it was quiet enough for him to speak again. "Now, my fiancé, Pepper, and I, have been working very hard on building… a non-profit organization called, 'The Ultimates Initiative". It is an organization dedicated to bringing any and all victims of the Chitauri attack to their ultimate prime. Is this microphone faulty?" He tapped it a couple times, creating a loud screech that had everyone covering their ears. "Whoops. But just to be clear, I did not say, Optimus Prime or octopus grime, I said, ultimate prime. But anyway, if you are having financial trouble, the head of the cha- er, organization is a man named Sam Wilson. There is a building you may have noticed being built over the old theatre that I bought not too long ago-", the one Tania and Steve had been taken from, the one he bought and demolished within a month, "-that looks like a miniature Avengers Tower. That, ladies and germs, is the Ultimates HQ. If you have any questions, please talk to Mr. Wilson there. Thanks and goodnight New York!" With a good chuck, he tossed the microphone into the crowd and turned to walk away, Pepper beneath his arm and Steve, Tania, and the other Avengers hot on his heels.

**May 24th –** Steve gripped the phone with white knuckles. He had no air. He couldn't breathe. "S-say that again?" he mumbled shakily.

The man on the other end of the line sighed. "I'm sorry Captain Rogers, but Ms. Carter… Peggy… she passed away last night. Her niece is hosting the funeral later this evening."

Steve's knees buckled and he fell forward, catching himself on his hands. There was a long silence. The man on the other end of the line, one of the nurses at Peggy's retirement home, respectfully allowed him to grieve in peace without hanging up the phone. After several minutes, the Captain returned the phone to his ear. "Save me three seats."

* * *

Steve, Tania, and Tony were on one of Stark's private jets within the hour. It was eerily silent and for once, there were no pole dancing flight attendants, disco balls, or blaring music. There was, however, a lot of alcohol. Tony was practically drowning in whiskey. Steve was downing bottle after bottle of beer. Tania tentatively sipped at her strawberry daiquiri.

The three of them sat together, Steve and Tania facing Tony with the two men by the window. No one said a word as the pilot flew them through the skies to England.

Steve was dressed in a black dress suit while Tania had opted for her little black dress paired with a fascinator she had bought not long after returning from nineteen forty-five in inspiration of their fashion. She sniffed every so often, to which her boyfriend would rub her back soothingly before taking another gulp from his bottle. Tony was garbed head to toe in a stark white suit of pristine quality.

The others hadn't questioned his attire. But they knew he had a reason. Tony wasn't one for blending in, nor was he one to dwell in sadness very much in public. He knew that in other places, places like China, it was tradition to wear white at a funeral. So even though Peggy wasn't Chinese, he decided that stark white would be the way to go. Another thing he knew was that Peggy wouldn't want her funeral to be too depressing. She would want people to mourn, but she wouldn't want people to dwell. So he decided that he would bring light to this dark time.

He tossed his bottle over his shoulder, smashing it against the far wall behind him without a care. The glass shattered before tumbling to the floor with the others.

Steve and Tania didn't even flinch. Suddenly, her phone began playing Michael Buble and she looked at it. There was a text from Pepper.

_Sorry I couldn't make it. I would if I could, but I'm in Philadelphia right now and there's no way I could make it on time. Give my condolences._

Tania bit her lip.

_K_

* * *

Steve stood over the grave, staring at the coffin at the very bottom. The wind tussled his hair and clothes playfully but he didn't care. His unwavering stare bored into the wooden cage that held the first woman he'd ever been able to relate to. His eyes were red-rimmed.

He stuffed one hand deep into his pocket and fished around for something. He eventually grabbed it and pulled it out by the chain. His old compass. He stared at it, watching it dangle dangerously over the hole in the ground. It was rusted and old and dirty and dusty and scratched, but it was there in all its glory; no missing pieces. He popped it open to see her picture, the way she'd been over seventy years ago. He didn't know how long he stared at it.

He grabbed the compass and yanked it. The chain pulled off with a snap and he clutched the case with white knuckles. He held the chain with his left fist, held straight out in front of him over her body. He inhaled deeply. The chain slipped through his fingers.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N. Greetings! Last chapter! :O But at least we know what happens in six months, right? This is a particularly long one because... PEPPERONY WEDDING! YAYYYYYY *ahem* Anyway, here's the month of June and thank you to all of my readers/reviewers/followers/favouriters/etc. Enjoy! :D**

**P.S. Sorry if Pepper seems like Bridezilla, but I imagine that she would be VERY stressed. Read on ;)**

**Disclaimer - I don't own the Avengers and I never will.**

**CHAPTER SIX**  
**June 1st – Peggy's birthday: Steve and Tania go out to Brooklyn and walk along the streets in memory of her.**

**June 4th –** "Okay people! Don't panic! I repeat, DON'T PANIC!"

Pepper was hyperventilating on the little podium while Jane and Betty were fanning her frantically with their hands. Natasha was rubbing the other red head's shoulders as best she could while Tania paced a few feet away, speaking frantically into headset she wore.

"Yes, this DOES qualify as an emergency! Don't you dare hang up on m-! Hello? UGH!" She ripped the device from her head and flung it across the room. It smashed into pieces against the white wall of the bedroom.

"Does this mean they can't fix it?!" Pepper asked in an increasingly high-pitched voice that squeaked on the last syllable.

Tania rushed to calm her friend down before she fainted. "No, no, no- well, yes but we'll fix it! We'll find a way to fix it, okay Pepper? I promise. You are going to look beautiful walking down the aisle, okay? I promise."

"Deep breaths," Betty advised, leading the CEO through several calming techniques she'd learned over the years.

Meanwhile, Tania kneeled awkwardly in her bright red bridesmaids dress. It was ankle length and made of shiny satin that cinched at the waist and was one shouldered with a large, round, carnation-shaped flower on the strap. Around her waist was a gold ribbon as wide as her palm to match the wrappings of the bouquet she held in her hands and the golden shoes she wore on her feet. Like the other women, her hair was tucked over her right shoulder held there by hairspray.

She leaned forward to examine the deep purple stain on the stark white wedding dress. Room service had popped by with alcohol to calm everyone's nerves only to spill it on Pepper's dress, in which case panic ensued immediately. The stain only appeared to be getting darker.

"Okay, okay, um… think, Banks, think!" She wracked her brain for an idea. Light bulb! "Does someone have any scissors?"

Pepper gasped and gathered up as much of her ball gown skirt as she possibly could into her arms. "Don't you dare!" The poor woman looked close to tears.

Tania held up her hands in a sign of peace as she slowly approached the bride as if she were a wounded animal. "Easy Pepper, I just need to remove the train. Trains don't even look good on ball gowns anyway."

"Yes they do!"

"Pepper…"

_Snip._

They both whipped around to face Natasha with a pair of red scissors in one hand and the stained train in the other. She tossed both over her shoulder. The fabric floated softly to the floor while the crafting utensil lodged itself into the wall where Tania's headset had been thrown.

"There. Much better."

"What have you done?!" Pepper stumbled off the podium and fell to her knees in front of the white frilly lace. She picked it up with her hands and began to shed tears. This was not what anyone had wanted.

"Pepper! Pepper, honey," Jane rested a hand on her friend's shoulder only to yank it back when she felt like the bride might bite off a finger – or two. "Pepper, look in the mirror. You look magnificent."

"No! No, I look hideous!"

"Pepper…"

Betty and Natasha shared a look and both grabbed an arm, yanking the hysterical bride to her feet and pulling her to the full-length mirror. "NO! No I don't want to-!" She caught a peek at her reflection and stopped. Her makeup was running from the tears and her hairs had gone astray, but the gown looked exactly the same as it had before: a Cinderella ball gown (like she'd always wanted) only without gloves and poofy sleeves, but rather those akin to Betty's last dress – lace trailing down her arms. The only difference was that instead of having metres of fabric trailing behind her when she walked, the sparkling skirt simply grazed the floor in a perfect sphere around her glass slipper-clad feet. The assassin and the scientist let go of Pepper's elbows and allowed her to twirl in the mirror. "You know, I do feel just a tad lighter…"

"That's the spirit!" Tania cheered before checking the pocket watch around her neck. "Oh shit, we have to go now!"

The five women hurriedly shuffled out of the room and down the stairs of the quaint little house – Pepper's parents' house. They scurried out into the backyard where a meadow-like clearing surrounded by bright green trees. Immediately, the piano music started and Natasha smiled when she saw Clint playing the keys.

Quickly, they all took their places as the maid of honour walked down the red carpet aisle first. Nat and Graham linked arms before slowly trudging along the red laid on the grass, smiling for the cameras flashing from the paparazzi (and not Peter because Tony had "accidentally" forgotten to invite the kid – however, Spider-man had been invited; which was just cruel because that meant that Peter Parker couldn't come, so Spidey sat in the trees somewhere, watching).

Darcy had been invited to the wedding, but because of exams, she was not able to make it as Graham date. Seeing as her actual partner was a little preoccupied, Natasha has elected that Tania's brother walk her down the aisle. Although it hadn't been worded quite that way.

Next up was the best man and his date. Steve and Tania laced their fingers together and strode along the carpet between the two sections of white, cushioned chairs, upon which sat all invited guests, family members, friends, the press, some SHIELD Agents (mainly for security) and family members of friends or guests of friends and family members. The Captain America/Sonata partnership beamed as they traveled along the line, but only very few could tell that they weren't as happy as they seemed. The Avengers had all seen them both at their happiest – and that was nowhere near it.

Still, they faked it pretty well and took their places on opposite sides of the altar. Behind them, Bruce and Betty sauntered up as an already married couple – they pondered how it felt to already be husband and wife.

Finally, Jane and Thor made their way after them, much more confident than they had been in January at the Banner wedding.

Once everyone was settled, the music changed courses and the Bride's March started up. Pepper stepped through the opening on her father's arm with a long veil that covered her face.

Tania had already seen Pepper in her dress, what she hadn't seen, was Tony in his tux. She craned her neck to get a look at the groom in his bright gold suit and hot rod red tie. His brown eyes were fixed on his one true love, slowly stepping toward him. His face was raw, open, vulnerable. In the moments that followed, the brunette could see every drop of love he held for the woman approaching. She could see the pride, the attraction, the magnetism, the adoration, the protectiveness, the want, the lust, the desperation, the possessiveness, and everything else all in that one gaze. It was so powerful that Tania actually stumbled a little on the spot. Luckily, no one seemed to notice.

Then Pepper and Tony held hands and the sparks between them were almost visible. Tania watched with a smile and almost burst into tears right on the spot. Betty saw the look and reached for her hand. She conveyed her gratitude through her eyes and sobbed just a tiny bit. The two bridesmaids linked pinkies and swung them back and forth as Pepperony exchanged vows.

"Pepper, Pep, you have always been my rock. I don't know how I survived so long without you, and I can't imagine surviving now without you by my side. You've never left me, not even when… I left you. Not even when I was being a dick or a selfish asshole or a bordering on suicidal stupid super hero in a gold titanium alloy suit.

"Even though we have constant pissing contests and talk over each other so much that we sound like three videos playing at once, even though I've put you in harm's way… more than once, even though I've… hurt you myself… I have to protect the one thing I can't live without. And that's you."

Tears slipped down the bride's cheeks and she moved to cover her mouth with one hand but Tony quickly took a hold of her wrist and lowered it. He leaned in close and whispered in her ear. "I am dying to get that veil off your face."

She giggled, an emotional mess. She licked her lips. "Tony Stark, you are a stubborn pain in my ass." The crowd laughed. "I could go on a tangent for days, just listing all your flaws, but I'm not, because I love you more than I ever thought I could. I…", sniff, "I hate you – and I love you all at once and it's so complicated but I know that I can't go a day without you. You are the insanity I need to balance out all of the sense I make. You see how much sense that made? Exactly. That's all you." She tapped his nose and he grinned at her while the crowd laughed.

When the priest asked if there was anyone who had any reason that these two should not be wed, someone stood up from their chair.

"TONYYYYYYY! I LOVE YOU!" One random girl screamed. The mechanic coughed awkwardly.

"Happy?" He spun his index finger in a couple circles and the chauffeur in question stood up from the front row and made his way to the back.

He "escorted" the fangirl from the ceremony.

"TONY! LOVE MEEEEEEEEEE!"

The priest coughed. "Moving on." Pepper and Tony were totally zoned out, tuned in to only each other. But as soon as the words, "you may now kiss the bride" were starting to be uttered, Tony had all but ripped the veil from his bride's face and crushed his lips to hers. Roaring applause deafened them as they made out below the gate. The kiss lasted several seconds before it slowly started getting more and more awkward.

Eventually, Steve none too gently kicked the back of Tony's knee, causing it to give out and for him to nearly topple over his bride. The billionaire flipped him off (this seemed to be a pattern…).

It was time for Pepper to throw the bouquet. However, when she tossed it into the air, a sudden gust of wind altered its course and it landed on the ground – at Natasha's feet. The assassin came as close as possible to blushing before she kicked it out of her way and pretended she had never seen it.

The other bridesmaids held back their laughter (and for good reason). That was when the dancing started and Pepper danced with her father while everyone else joined in around them. Tony ended up with Jane while Thor ended up with Betty and Bruce ended up with Tania, leaving Steve to end up with Natasha. Graham sat on the sidelines by the piano with Clint, sipping at his drink. And that was how the game, "Musical Avengers" started. The extended family of misfits would dance with a random partner for half a song before twirling the woman and passing her off to the next person. This would continue for the majority of the songs until eventually, Tony and Pepper ended up together, which is when it would be declared that the game would be over.

Tania danced with Bruce first and they both kind of shuffled from side to side to the music. "You know," she started, "I feel like we never talk anymore. It's like Fall was when you and I were close and now we're… drifting."

"That may be in part because of my marriage. I've been spending an awful lot of time with Betty. I've… kind of been neglecting you guys. Sorry."

She waved it away with a casual brush of her hand. "It's fine. I just feel like we should talk more. Maybe we can go grocery shopping again. Only, without the almost hulking out and the need to be rescued by Iron Man."

He huffed out a laugh. "I'm sure if that happened again, you'd be able to calm him down."

"Well I did get a new song for the Hulk."

"Did you now?"

"Yeah, I did. I haven't had a chance to test it because I haven't seen the big guy in a while."

"Well I'm not letting him out to play just so you can sing him a lullaby and bring him back."

She pouted and he laughed before twirling and she sending her over to Thor. "Hey there big fella," she greeted and slipped her hand into his, her other on his (very high…) shoulder. She stepped onto his feet and let him lead. He was better than she had first thought, but he was still pretty bad. Almost Steve bad. "What's crackin'?"

Thor blinked. "What?"

She laughed, knowing he wouldn't understand. "How are you?"

"I am joyous on this marvelous occasion! And you, Lady Tania?"

"I feel the same."

"Tis an improvement."

"What?" She furrowed her eyebrows just as the demi God spun her around and she suddenly found herself in the arms of Phil Coulson. "Hey, you're not an Avenger. You can't play this game."

"Neither are you," he answered without missing a beat.

"I'm an honorary Avenger."

"I'm a SHIELD agent, what's your point?"

She rolled her eyes as they rocked from side to side a little more drastically than with Bruce. "Never mind. We're already dancing. Hey, you're pretty good at this."

"Thanks. I'm better when listening to cello music."

"So I've heard."

He raised an eyebrow and grabbed her waist, lifting her up high before lowering her back down again. "Oh really? Who from?"

Face flushed, she avoided his gaze. "What was that?" she asked, avoiding the question.

"Where did you hear that?"

"Tony, but I-"

She was suddenly very dizzy. When the spinning stopped, she was face to face with Clint. The smile was immediate. "Hi."

"Hi."

"Who's playing the piano?"

He paused. "Agent Simmons."

"Who's that?"

"A new recruit. She specializes in life sciences."

She raised an eyebrow knowingly.

"Both human and alien."

"Ahh. So that's why SHIELD wants her."

"Yup. You look beautiful tonight, by the way."

Her chinks tinted pink. "Thank you. I was afraid all the stress of running this wedding would ruin my look."

"Well it didn't. Good luck with the next dance."

The next exchange didn't catch her off guard, so she was totally prepared to walk straight into the groom. "Hey there. Nervous?" Why did she have to talk during dances? Why couldn't she just dance? Was she babbling nervously or something?

He shrugged. "Not so much, no." He eyed the metallic ring on his finger. "I bet you Pepper bought this with my money."

"Your money is her money now."

"I don't believe that was in our agreement."

"If I know Pepper, it was."

He smiled. "Yeah." He examined her face. "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing really. Just that this is nice."

"It is nice. But you know what would be better?"

"What?"

"If I could dance with my wife." He twirled her at arm's length and she continued twirling as he let go prematurely. She would have fallen over had she not rammed into a certain Captain's chest.

"Oof! It's like being hit by a car."

He chuckled and quickly took up her hands in the proper positions. "Isn't that what you said about when we first met?"

She rested her head just below his jaw and wrapped her arms around his back. "Maybe." The shuffled awkwardly some more. "You still can't dance."

He snorted. "You're the one who taught me."

"I know. Maybe we should continue those lessons. You never know at what wedding you might need to dance at next." This sentence created a sort of awkward silence that had them both blushing and looking away. Marriage was not something they had discussed in full. Living their entire lives together was also not something they had discussed in full, but they both knew that they would do it – at some point. It went unspoken that their love for each other went too deep to ever be completely broken. You could not separate the two, it just wouldn't work. Therefore, marriage and kids and the whole she-bang lay ahead of them. But neither wanted to pressure the other. That was a long way away.

A tap on Steve's shoulder had them both turning around to face Graham, standing there in his spiffy suit, hands stuffed in his pockets, towering over them awkwardly. "Mind if I cut in?"

"The game's over Gray," Tania pointed out, gesturing to the happy couple dancing in the grass.

"I know. But I didn't get to dance with my little sister."

She sighed. "I'm gonna let that one slide."

His goofy smile reached each ear and he gently stole her hand from Steve, who backed away respectfully. He mouthed something along the lines of, "gorgeous" before walking toward the buffet table.

Tania relaxed completely in her brother's hold. "You couldn't have waited for the next song?" she teased.

"Nope," he answered, popping the last consonant.

She rolled her eyes. "How many slow dances are they going to play in a row anyway? I kind of want to-"

At that moment, the piano was cut off and replaced with a DJ who started playing remixes of the top forties songs. They siblings shrugged and began dancing and jumping up and down to the beat.

Several hours later, at the exact moment of dusk, Pepper and Tony both pressed a button on their matching rings (his red, hers gold with the button disguised as a diamond). The crowd watched, amazed as Iron Man suits began to clamp onto both of their bodies from those tiny little pieces of jewellery to cover their whole forms.

Once Rescue and Iron Man were in full gear (the wedding dress had been shed at some point so that she could fit inside the suit), they turned their heads to look at each other, clasped hands, and flew up into the sky, breaking the speed of sound together. Awed gasps echoed through the audience as they watched, while Tania, Steve, and the other Avengers watched knowingly. The two heroes began to create little smoke trails from the jets in their boots and split apart, diving backward before reuniting in a point, creating the shape of a heart in eco-friendly smoke (or so Tony claimed).

And it was through this heart, that Tony and Pepper and flew off toward their honeymoon adventure.

**June 7th** – Second in command to Director Nick Fury, Agent Maria Hill stalked the halls of the New York base. On the way to her office, she heard many catcalls and whistles from other agents, most of whom were new recruits. Dr. Wu in medical had a lot of patients that day…  
Maria had decided to wear her hair down instead of in its usual bun, something that was so rarely seen at work that everyone took notice. She received many compliments, something she secretly loved but would never admit to loving.

There was a (totally subconscious no matter what anyone says) specific decision to wear her hair down today. Only those with clearance level higher than eight knew what day it was.

Unless those few recently promoted level seven clearance-ers just so happened to have Tony Stark among them to hack the SHIELD database as if it were a public Facebook account; then nothing was private.

So that's how, when she walked into her office to the rhythm of her clicking heels, there was a black box sitting on her desk with the words, "Happy Birthday Hill" written on them in bright white marker. She rolled her eyes and closed the door behind her with her foot before reaching for the box. She knew immediately who it was from, having memorized the handwriting of each Avenger and then some long before the initiative even started. It was definitely Phil Coulson's neat scrawl. No, that was not an oxy-moron, not when it came to Phil.

She lifted the lid and rolled her eyes affectionately. A new utility belt. Knowing Tony, it was probably jacked up with all these random technical gadgets and whatchamecallits that Natasha, Clint, and Phil definitely had input on. At the bottom was a yellow card with a picture of an animal of some sort.

_For the record, this is what a porcupine looks like_, it read. She actually chuckled out loud. It had obviously been drawn by Steve and she had to admit that it did look a lot more like a porcupine than hers. She shook her head with a small smile on her face before walking around her desk to her chair; belt in hand, to place the card on her shelf of pictures.

**June 17th - Father's day:** The elevator doors opened and Tania stepped out onto lounge floor. It was empty save for her brother standing with his back to her, leaning against the counter. He appeared not to have heard her despite the ding announcing her arrival.

Dressed in jean shorts and a mauve cami, she raised her hands to her hair and began to pull it into a ponytail as she approached the kitchen island, not wanting to disturb his conversation.

"I… I miss you too," he said.

Who was he talking too, she wondered. Darcy, maybe? Whoever was on the other end of the line apparently went on a little spiel because Graham didn't speak for a long time.

Tania waited patiently for him to hang up. Today of all days she just wanted to spend time with her younger sibling. She wanted to do anything but relive the childhood she scowled at for the most part. Graham was like the shining light in her life and she wanted to relive that. So she grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and hopped up onto a bar stool to wait.

She didn't have to wait long because her brother shifted against the counter and spoke again – still oblivious to her presence. "Alright. I'll talk to you later. Bye Dad."

Tania spit out the water she just taken a sip of. Graham leaped a foot in the air and whirled around with wide eyes. The eldest of the two spluttered and coughed for a few seconds before recovering and gaping at him. "D-dad?!"

He held up both hands in a sign of peace, phone still gripped in his left. "I can explain."

"How could you?" She jumped off the stool and slammed her bottle on the counter, splashing water everywhere – not that she cared. "After what he did to us, you're on good terms with him?"

Graham winced. The betrayal and hurt was displayed clearly not just in her tone, but in those chocolate eyes that matched his own. He was pretty sure he'd just dug his own grave. "Tania, listen to me-"

"How long has this been going on?"

Silence. He didn't want to tell her. But he knew he was caught. And he couldn't lie to her. They hadn't lied since… well since before Aunt Gemma died. "I…" he cleared his throat. "March." He kept his gaze on the suddenly fascinating island.

He winced when she gasped in disbelief. "You've been interacting with our father for months… behind my back?" She whispered the last part, tears on the brink of spilling over.

He closed his hand into a fist and forced himself to look up into her eyes. "Tani, I-"

"No! Don't! You know what he did to us!"

"But I don't remember!" he snapped, stepping forward.

She hadn't expected his comeback and stumbled a little. She dug her heels into the floor and stood her ground; narrowing her eyes through the red rims he could see forming. That was his sister.

"I don't remember him at all! Unlike Felicity, I have no memories of him being mean to us or leaving or of him in general! I can't see him the way you do!"

"After all I've told you about him? You can still forgive him after everything?"

He sighed and pressed the heels of his palms deep into his eye sockets. "Will you sit down and let me explain?" When it didn't look like she was going to move, he tacked on a, "Please?"

A few seconds passed where she eyed the stool warily. Finally, she closed her eyes and stopped breathing. One. Two. Three. Her chest spasmed and then she swallowed, opened her eyes, and sat down. He knew she was trying desperately not to cry. He hated that she was like this because of something he'd done, but he was going to make this right. He had to.

He pulled up the stool next to her, less than a foot away, and turned his whole body toward her, his left elbow leaning against the counter. "Tania," he started again, "In March, I got phone call from someone who wasn't in my contacts list. I was video chatting Darcy at the time. She dared me to pick it up – so I did. The man said, 'Graham?' I said, 'yeah'. Then he was like, 'It's Richard. Ahem, Richard Banks.' I dropped the phone between the couch cushions before diving to retrieve it. As soon as I had it against my ear again, his mouth shot off like a rocket with apologies and confessions and how he wanted to make everything better and I…"

"Believed him," she answered for him.

"What was I supposed to say? 'I'm sorry I don't believe you but I have total proof that you're an asshole because I totally don't remember you?' "

"No! You were supposed to say, 'I don't trust you because my sister told me you're a pompous ass hat and I trust her more than you!"

"Tania-"

"So why didn't you tell me?"

He sighed again. "I told him that you wouldn't be as forgiving as me because you remember him. I said that maybe we should wait."

"And when were you planning on telling me?"

"I… hadn't picked a date… quite yet."

She stood up harshly, shoving the stool back and scraping it against the floor in a sound that made them both cringe. She ignored it and pushed away from the counter.

"Tania-!" He reached out to her but she smacked his hand away.

"NO! Just- just leave me alone!"

Aaaaaaaand there were the tears. She spun around before he could do anything more than catch a glimpse of her heart broken face and raced for the elevator. He wasn't going to let her leave like this. He needed to fix it. "Wait!" he chased after her and just barely managed to slip past the doors (thank you JARVIS!)

Her breathing was ragged and she faced away from him, pressed into the corner, eyes squeezed shut. "I am so MAD at you right now!"

"And you have every right to be," he admitted, stepping closer to her. He smashed his fist into the emergency stop button. The elevator shook and they both jostled violently but other than that they were fine.

"WHY?" she screamed at him, turning to stare up into his eyes and he almost broke when he saw her face, tear streaks marring it.

"Because sometimes I make rash, impulsive, stupid decisions that affect the people around me! But they always forgive me because I mean well and I never wanted to hurt anybody! That was never my intention! Tania." He gently grabbed both of her shoulders. "Sis, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kept this from you and… I should have trusted you more. I'm really… really sorry."

She looked up at him. "He hit me once." She sniffed.

Graham froze, eyes wide. "What?"

"The night before they left. He and Felicity got really drunk. Like, really, really drunk. He, um… he wanted to tuck you into bed for some reason." She swiped the back of her arm across her cheeks to wipe away the tears. "He's never done that before. It was always me. You were four, I was six. He tried to get into your room and I wouldn't let him. I refused. He… I don't even know why he wanted to tuck you in but he slapped me out of his way and walked into your room. He passed out before he could reach you and… I grabbed your hand and led you out of there. We slept in my room that night. And then we haven't seen him since."

"I… didn't know that. I don't remember." He furrowed his eyebrows together, trying to bring back that memory. He was unsuccessful.

"Of course you don't. You were four."

"I just… I know that you wear his ring, and…"

She lifted her hand to her face and eyed the onyx ring on her finger. It was true that she wore it, but it wasn't really a conscious choice… she just felt compelled to wear it, to remind her of the times before her parents got involved with alcohol and what not. She sighed. "Gray… I don't know what to say."

"Come here." He wrapped his arms around her and she did the same, connecting the two of them in a sibling hug. They remained that way, clutching each other tightly, for quite a while.

"I still don't trust him," she whispered into his broad chest.

He sighed. "I know. But it's father's day. I think you should talk to him."

"No."

He rolled his eyes over her head, making sure she couldn't see. She was so stubborn. "Fine. It's not like I can make you."

"No. But I'm also not going to stop you from talking to him. If you… want to keep… contact with him… go ahead."

"… really?"

"Yeah. But… I'm… I can't do it. Not… not yet. I'm sorry." She rested her forehead against him and he stroked her head softly.

"It's okay. You'll come around one day. You'll see."

**June 19th – Pepperony return home**

**A/N. And there you have it folks! January-June activities of the Avengers :D I hope you liked it and stay tuned for Proposing To Sonata in Their Coffee Shop (or was it Proposing In Their Coffee Shop to Sonata? You guys pick. But it's got to have Sonata, Proposing, and Coffee in the title). Oh I almost forgot! The sneak peak! I've written the prologue for the 4th installment so I'll give that to you guys too :) Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7: Sneak Peak!

**A/N. Voila! The sneak peak :) I hope it piques your interests enough. I'm going to be using quite a bit of comic book related things in the next installment, including various characters and character traits and references, etc. Of course, I have never actually _read_ the comic books so some of it may be wrong. However I've looked up a lot on the internet (mostly out of boredom) and learned little facts here and there which have been translated into my writing. I tried to incorporate it in the way MARVEL would - as "easter eggs" I believe they're called. So it wouldn't be exactly like the comics, but rather little nudges. Ex: in Iron Man 3, Pepper donning the suit for a little bit was a reference to her comic alter ego Rescue (see where that came from in my previous stories?). So yeah, just a little FYI/fun fact :) I hope you enjoy enough to stay tuned for the next story! :D**

**Disclaimer - I do not own Disney's MARVEL's The Avengers.**

**PROPOSING TO SONATA IN THEIR COFFEE SHOP****  
**

**PROLOGUE**

"Dad, this is the second time in the past year! Honestly, what are you doing with your life?" she asked exasperatedly. She clutched her red leather bag in her lap as she stared at him through the glass wall that separated them.

He laughed joyfully; as if he weren't in jail – again. "Oh Honey, relax." He waved a hand nonchalantly at her. "I'll be back out in a jiffy."

"No one says that anymore," she deadpanned. "And it's been months!"

"I know, I know. My lawyers are still working on it."

"It's going to be really, really tough, Dad. I don't think you're gonna make it this time."

"Have faith in your old pop, huh? Come on Tini, please?"

She sighed. "Da-_ad_…" she whined.

"Justine." His tone was firm, like he was scolding her. "I will get out of here."

"Yeah, in fifty years," she mumbled under her breath.

"I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear that. In the meantime, you're watching over my company, right?"

She groaned. "Dad, I'm sixteen! No one takes me seriously and they all think you're crazy for putting me in charge!"

He chuckled. "Well that's because they don't know you like I do. You were born to do this."

"I know. I was born to be your heir, and nothing more."

His smile fell off his face. "Justine,-"

"Just don't!" she exclaimed, standing abruptly. Her chair scraped against the linoleum noisily. "I don't even want to hear you try! You don't even care that you've been in jail so many times that I hardly ever see you anymore! Everyone at school hates me! They all think I'm evil and deranged and I have no friends! And when you come home somehow, you're always so focused on destroying the competition that you completely forget about me!"

"That's not true-!"

"YES IT IS! When you get thrown in jail, you make ME run the company when I'm still in high school! Do you know how hard that is?"

"I thought the school year just ended?"

"You're missing the point!" She stomped her foot, face red. "You have never been there for me! You are negligent and careless and self-absorbed and you are no better than mom!"

He pounded his fists on the table and shoved his chair back, pushing himself to his feet. "Justine Hammer you take that back right now!"

"NO! You can't boss me around anymore! Every decision you make revolves around you and I can't take it anymore! I've never been a factor in any of your decisions so you're not going to be a factor in mine!"

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying…" Tears sprang from her eyes. "I'm saying that I don't want to see you anymore!" She grabbed her schoolbag from the floor along with her purse and scurried towards the door.

"Justine!" He yelled, pounding his fist against the glass. "Justine get back here! JUSTINE!"

"Mr. Hammer, I'm going to have to ask you to return to your cell."

Justin stared at the doorway his daughter had run through, chest heaving. He didn't hear the officer behind him. Only when his arm was grabbed did he turn. The man "escorted" him back to his cell as Justin craned his neck to watch the doorway, praying for his daughter to come back – she didn't.

* * *

Outside, Justine finally let the tears fall as she walked away from the prison. She turned away the limo waiting for her. She would walk. She wanted to be alone with her thoughts. Her right hand remained glued over her mouth and nose as she cried and made her way towards her home several blocks away. She knew the city like the back of her hand and could find her way easily. She had always had an astute sense of direction.

With that in mind, she turned a sharp corner and entered an alleyway. It was dark out, but the many lights of New York City kept even the alley illuminated in a gentle glow. She sobbed hard and listened to the rhythmic click of her heels as she walked forward. It was soothing in a way she couldn't explain, but she didn't feel any better.

She was about halfway through her shortcut when she felt herself being thrown to the side. She collided with the brick wall and fell into a couple of metal trashcans, knocking them over and landing in a pile of gross garbage. She sucked in a sharp gasp and tried to push herself up when her body was lifted from the ground with seeming ease. But she couldn't feel any hands or sense someone else's presence; not that that mattered when she found herself suddenly vaulted forward.

She rammed face first into the harsh ground and rolled with the momentum, landing roughly on her back. She groaned as her heart pounded with fear. What was happening? Her head was yanked into the wall and she heard more than felt the hollow BONK in the night. Her hair elastic snapped and her dirty blonde hair fell around her shoulders.

Searing pain erupted in her temples and began to spread towards the back of her head and down the nape of her neck. She cried out in pain and clutched at her hair in a failed attempt to make it stop. It stung in ways she could have never imagined and she could feel her eyes glazing over.

"STOP!" She shrieked. "PLEASE! STOP!" More tears cascaded down her cheeks from the pain and suffering.

An unfamiliar voice echoed in her head, bouncing around the confines of her mind. It reminded her of nails on a chalkboard and the chimes of bells at the same time. Oh God, everything HURT. "It will be over soon, human. You shall no longer feel pain. You shall no longer feel anything at all."

She threw her head back as her vision blurred and she couldn't see anything anymore, despite knowing that her eyes her wide open. She could sense the man's wide smirk and she despised it. "GO AWAY!" She screamed at him.

He chuckled. "I don't think so."

"Who… are… you?" the pain began to subside, and with it, most of her conscious thoughts. It was like her mind was being sucked into a vacuum slowly and painfully until her head was empty. A bright, glowing blue crept over her normally grey eyes and covered them completely. Her face and body relaxed and she slumped against the wall of the alleyway, exhausted.

The voice returned to her empty head, louder than before. "I… am Loki."


End file.
